A Slave to Your Heart
by Gwynne
Summary: Kagome, a great priestess, is captured and given to a demon prince for his birthday. She curses fate, her treacherous sister, and the entire evil demon race...but what happens when she sees that not all demons are evil? How will her views change when ultimately she must rely on her master to help her to return home? InuXKag *lemons* (little OoC)
1. Chapter 1

Hope you guys like my debut chapter! Remember- its all the same characters, but a new plot!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the other characters from the series…though I do worship them.

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Kagome hummed gently to herself as she filled a small bucket with water and carried it back to the shrine. Today had been a good day, all was well and calm, and its only downfall had been that someone had come down the road telling that a village far to the west had been attacked by demons and no one had survived.

Kagome's humming ceased and felt the slow ache for revenge, why would anyone want to kill so many innocent people? She had known people in the village and all of them had been nice to her. She growled and kicked at a small tree stump as she walked up the path to where Kikyou was waiting.

Once there, she walked up to her twin sister, and sat the bucket down. Kikyou and Kagome were the two strongest priestesses in the land, they spent their time traveling from village to village and fighting unruly demons.

Their life had been relatively easy, up until the last month or so. The demon attacks had grown more frequent and farther and farther into the human side of the boundary that had been set up long ago.

Nowadays no one was safe, and all because of the death of King Kin. He had been the king of the demons for centuries, and had even kept a little peace between demons and humans. He had been the one that set up the Great Boundary, almost 725 years ago. He made it law that humans stay to their side and demons to theirs, and if either one of the races crossed the boundary without permission from someone with authority, then the individual entered at their own risk, and rarely ever returned home.

But since his death, all the demons in the realm had went into a frenzy, more and more crossed the great boundary everyday; growing bold since there wasn't anyone to punish them.

Now his two sons were struggling to keep the kingdom from falling into anarchy. Sesshomaru, Kin's eldest son, was a full blood dog demon, and was known to be the meanest demon in the land. He had a reputation for being cruel and unreasonable. Inuyasha, the younger of the two, was a half demon, his mother had been the one that had fallen in love with Kin and came up with the idea of the Great Boundary. Inuyasha had suffered many casualties whenever no one of his family was around simply because he had such a high rank and was only part demon; and so he had grown cruel himself and now was known to be harshest of his own kind.

Kagome shook her head to free herself from her thoughts, then she watched as Kikyou stitched up the leg of one of the villagers whom had been attacked by a small band of robbers.

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi walked up as one; they had been helping Kagome and Kikyou for several years now and were rivaled in spiritual powers only by their two teachers.

Kagome sent her friends a smile, "Anything interesting happen to you guys today?"

Each of the girls shrugged, then Eri spoke up, "Oh, I saw BLUE grass today."

Each of the girls looked at her like she was insane.

The young priestess blushed, "Well it was interesting…"

As they each started to giggle, Kikyou stood up and gave each a grim look, "Kagome, lets go for a walk."

The three girls looked at Kagome who shrugged and then chased after her sister.

Kagome followed Kikyou slowly to the edge of the village and then into the forest.

"Kikyou…can we not talk outside the forest?" Kagome mumbled as she readied her bow and arrow in case they were surprised.

Kikyou walked deeper into the forest, as she did, she spoke, "Kagome, if you had the chance to solve all of our problems with the demons, would you?"  
Kagome nodded, "Of course."

Kikyou kept walking, "Even if it meant giving up say… ME?"  
Kagome faltered, "I don't see what this is about."

Kikyou shrugged, "Maybe I'm just reading into things too much."

Kagome nodded, but still her sister led her on.

The forest grew dense around them and before she had realized just how far they had gone, the sun had sank behind the horizon and their path was lit only by the moon.

"Kikyou, we should go back." Kagome whispered into the quiet forest.

Kikyou laughed, "Are you afraid sister?"

Kagome sighed, "Only for your safety!"

Kikyou turned on her sister, her eyes blazing with hatred, "you should worry more about yourself!"

Before Kagome could react to her sister's odd statement, she was tackled from the side. She yelped at Kikyou to help as she struggled with the heavy thing on her…

Kikyou glared down at her sister with malice, "I told you…"

Kagome let out a pained gasp as the being on top of her shoved a knee into her back. "Kikyou…help!" she gasped out as the beings full weight pressed her to the ground.

Kikyou looked down at her nails and checked for dirt.

Kagome felt ropes tying her hands behind her back and then tying her feet together. She let out a growl at her sister, still not sure why she wasn't coming to her rescue.

She felt herself being flipped over, and then she was looking up into the face of a demon. She knew this demon, she had fought him before but he had always ran to safety when the battle grew one-sided.

"Naraku!" she spat out, glaring at him with all the intense hatred she possessed. He was one of the Loyal Three, a group of three demons that were eternally loyal to the king in power and were the only demons allowed to cross the Great Boundary freely and spread a little chaos.

He grinned maliciously down at her, and then pulled out a large pouch of money, which he handed to Kikyou.

Kagome growled from her spot on the ground, "What is going on Kikyou?"  
Kikyou glared back down at her sister, "I am selling you to Naraku. I'm tired of being, ONE of the greastest priestesses in the land. Plus he has given me a promise of peace… for a while."

Her treacherous sister shook hands with the demon Naraku and then slowly walked back towards the village. Kagome wanted to cry but refused to show either one of the snakes a weakness. "You will pay for this Kikyou. Whatever happens to me, I will pay you back tenfold."

Kikyou felt a shiver drift down her spine as she heard her sister's deadly cold tone, "And if they kill you sister? How will you pay me back then?"

Kagome spit at Kikyou's feet, "There are ways to curse someone, even after death, as a priestess you should know that."

Kikyou growled, pissed to have her sister back talk her even when she was on the ground at the mercy of a demon. She had at the very least expected a little pleading or crying. "We shall see" Kikyou growled as she walked away; leaving her sister and the demon alone.

Once her sister had faded from sight, Kagome turned on Naraku. "And what do you plan on doing with me?"

Naraku felt his body stirring to the fiery look the virgin priestess was sending him, "I am going to fuck you until you pass out…and when you wake up, we will fuck more." He grinned as he saw the woman pale, but her eyes didn't lose their determined glint.

Kagome felt like puking at the smallest thought of sleeping with Naraku, "Take what you want from me you flea infested demon. But I will never scream for you and what I said to my so called sister goes for you also, you will pay."

Naraku bit his lip, oh how he would love to take this little vixen. To bad the wheels were already turning and plans had been made for her.

Naraku smiled and pressed his rough lips against Kagome's tender ones. He felt her cough under him and make a choking noise, but she didn't let out a peep. He laughed and pulled away.

Kagome rolled over and released all the bile that had worked its way up her throat during his kiss. Slowly she turned back to him and sent him a deadly glare, "You disgust me."

Naraku laughed and then backhanded her across the face. A loud smack from her cheek made him grin bigger, oh how he loved to cause pain. "And you make me hungry."

Kagome choked on the words but before she could say anything back, he hit her firmly over the back of the head with the butt of his sword. Kagome did her best to send him a dirty glare as the blackness enveloped her vision, she could only guess where she was going from here.

Naraku lifted his little vixen easily and carried her over to his horse that he had hidden a few yards away. He tossed her over its back and then climbed up into the saddle; leaving her draped across his lap like a victory wreath.

He gave his horse a harsh kick and sent it into an immediate gallop. It would take him days to reach the Great Boundary, but once he crossed it, he could slow down a bit and relax without the worry of being attacked by a small band of humans.

DAY 1:

Kagome woke up with a splitting headache and a growling stomach. She looked around, taking in her surroundings; she was still on the human's side of the Great Boundary, but she guessed that they were going West and heading towards the demons realm.

She cursed under her breath and cringed as she heard Naraku laugh behind her.

"Well, good morning sweetheart!" he laughed cheerfully.

Kagome coughed, "Let me sit up, I can't breathe."

"I don't take orders from you" he sounded amused, "but if you be good the rest of the day then whenever night falls I will let you ride in my lap."

Kagome decided she would benefit form keeping her mouth shut and did so.

Naraku laughed and patted her on her ass, "A quick learner too."

Kagome squirmed under his rancid touch but bit her lip, knowing that if she put up too much of a fight he would end up making her ride on her stomach throughout the night. And already she could feel the urge to puke but had no bile left to do it; leaving her to dry heave every time the horse made a particularly jolty movement.

Hours flew by without the horse slowing from its fast pace to drink or eat. Kagome's hunger grew unbearable, but she refused to complain about it, or about the urge to pee that had her clenching her legs together as she sagged against the horse's stomach.

When night finally did fall, Naraku slowed the horse to a stop near a stream. He led it to the water and lifted Kagome off it with one hand, sitting her down on her feet.

Kagome let out a squeak as her sleeping feet were suddenly swamped with her body's weight. Before she could try to react to the needlelike pain she had fallen over onto her side, making her shoulder hurt almost as bad as her stomach. Between her legs being asleep and the fact that they were tied, Kagome couldn't walk at all.

Naraku smiled, "Get up and walk or I will drag you."

Kagome tried to get up only to fall over again. She wanted to yell out in pain but she refused, her lip started to bleed as she bit it harder and harder.

Naraku shrugged and dragged her about ten feet away from the camp. "Do what ever you need to do, and hurry up."

Kagome frowned and looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"Do you need to use the bathroom or not? Because I'm not stopping again until morning so you're just going to end up pissing all over yourself."

Kagome felt the urge to puke again; he wanted her to use the bathroom IN FRONT of him? She briefly considered refusing to go in front of him and then later pissing all over him and his stupid horse, but she knew he would beat her for it.

She glared up at him, "I can't untie my clothes with my hands tied."

Naraku seemed all to amused, and proceeded to undress her so that she could use the bathroom.

Kagome looked away to keep from crying at the sheer shame she felt at being half naked and going to the bathroom in front of this evil demon. She took a deep breath and got done with her business as fast as possible. Then she looked at him, "what do I use to…wipe?"

Naraku shrugged carelessly, "Your hand? A leaf? I don't know and don't care."

Kagome wanted to whimper but refused; instead she grabbed a soft leaf and wiped off. Her cheeks burned with humiliation but she couldn't let him see her tears.

He dressed her and dragged her back to their "camp." Then he gave her a small portion of some jerky and ate the rest of it himself. Next he led her to the river, and tossed her down next to the horse.

"If your thirsty then drink" he growled and stretched a bit to relieve his tense muscles.

Kagome knew he was trying to humiliate her, to break her as he treated her like an animal, but she set her jaw and pressed her lips to the water. She drank her fill and when she was done she looked up at him with disdain.

Naraku nodded, and climbed back on the horse, tugging roughly on the rope that he had used to attach her tied hands to his own hand. Kagome obediently walked over and he lifted her up so that she was sitting sidesaddle in his lap.

Kagome grimaced as she thought of what part of him was under her, but she yet again refuse to give him a piece of her mind. A few more hours passed and slowly her weariness began to weigh on her until she finally fell asleep and laid back against Naraku's chest.

Naraku grinned and tangled a hand in her lush black hair, he wanted to take her body, to make her scream and cry out, but he resisted, knowing that if he did partake of her the cost would be greater then the reward.

He rode the horse at a steady run the rest of the night; making sure to keep using the stars to guide him and his nose to warn him of dangers. He shook off the tiny urge to sleep and continued to ride, enjoying the feel of the soft female bouncing gently against him.

DAY 2:

Kagome's eyes slowly peeled open, and she realized where she was. She jerked forward, distancing herself from his chest with a few inches and then looking at her surroundings again.

She had been right, they had traveled far over the night and now the scenery showed it. The trees were still frequent, but the kind had changed, and the wind seemed a bit dryer.

Naraku slowed the horse next to the river they had been inadvertently following and sat Kagome on the ground.

This time Kagome was quick to jump up and stretch her sore legs, ignoring the pain she walked a little circle and then did it again backwards, unwinding the rope she had wrapped around herself.

Naraku led her to a tree and undressed her. Kagome turned her head to hide her blush and hurried about her business. When she turned around she noticed that she had tied the rope that held her to a tree limb above her head, and had walked a short distance away.

Kagome measured the distance with her eyes, he had moved far enough away so that she couldn't pounce on him while he pissed. She looked back up at the tree and tried to decide if she could get the rope loose.

She gave it a few test tugs, but Naraku was back before she could do much.

Again she drank form the stream and again she had a small portion of meat.

Then he loaded her back up into his lap and they started off again.

Kagome was amazed as she watched how fast they traveled, the horse they were riding had to be demon bred, it moved faster then the average horse and had amazing stamina that kept it going on without tiring.

Her thoughts turned dark, but she had nothing to do other than think as she rode the horse towards the land of the demons. _How could Kikyou have done this? Surely I am only dreaming and I will wake up and feel ridiculous?_ At this she looked down and checked out the very real bruises on her wrists. _I wonder what Naraku will do with me… I need to get away before we reach the Great Boundary, or else my chances of ever begin free again will go down to slim and none. What if I am forced to have SEX with these demons? What if they pass me around like some toy because of all of their kin that I have killed? _

Naraku smelled a jolt of fear wash over Kagome and grinned; he was glad she was finally realizing just how much shit she was in.

Kagome felt her lip tremble and she remembered that demons can smell fear, as well as lust and sickness. She reigned in her emotions and ignored the common urge to be afraid. She had to be strong…she had to go on…she COULDN'T give up…

Hours dragged by with a dreaded slowness and Kagome found herself napping on and off throughout the day, and growing sore in the posterior area.

When night came, again they stopped and went through their "regular" routine. But it was this night that he took the ropes of her feet and allowed her to walk without the hindrance.

As soon as she relaxed Kagome was once again pulled up into Naraku's lap and she once again almost puked at the thought of what was under her. Surely if he had planned on raping her he would have already done it?

They rode harder, and Kagome had the feeling that they were growing closer to their destination. It started to rain in the middle of the night but still they trudged on. The rain was warm and the wasn't much of a wind, which meant there was little chance of getting sick; but it did little to improve her already depressed mood.

DAY 3:

As morning came, so did the sun. They stopped and stretched and went through the routine with one change up.

"What do you mean I have to change clothes?" she growled.

Naraku laughed darkly, "I don't need a mob of demons attacking me so that they can kill you. So you need to disguise yourself."

Kagome eyed him as he tossed her the clothes of the average male peasant. Not that she minded, she had worn men's clothes before to work in, but it was the changing in front of him that she feared.

He had to undress her, and Kagome cringed as she felt his hands drifting down to squeeze her ass.

She growled, "Okay, okay, put on the damn clothes."

Naraku grinned and turned her around, "You know you have beautiful breasts? I have never seen such breasts before. They are perfect…"

Kagome struggled with her bonds as he cupped her bare breasts and toyed with them. She had never wanted to pass out and run away at the same time before…but she did now.

He groaned softly, but pushed her away. Kagome thanked the gods for her small blessing and tried to prevent the touching of any of her skin against any of his as he finished dressing her in the new clothes.

Once dressed, they loaded back up onto the horse and road faster then they had before. Kagome could hear the horse panting as the Great Boundary slowly rose up before them in the distance.

Kagome tried to look away, but hours passed and she never moved her eyes.

Around nightfall they reached it; a great canyon in the land, going deep, deep into the ground and stretching far across. The canyon continued on in both directions to their sides, Kagome knew that the one that went to her right would eventually run into a great mountain that was impassable, and the one to her left? Well it traveled hundreds more miles until it finally reached the ocean. She shivered as she thought that it had been made by King Kin alone, and his famous sword, which he had passed on to his son Inuyasha.

Thought there were bridges that stretched across the ravine every few miles, most of them were made of rope and were rarely traveled. Kagome looked at the large stone one which they were going to cross on.

There was no sentry but they slowed to a walk as the horses hooves started to clop on the hard rock under it. Kagome had never been across the Great Boundary before, indeed, most people hadn't, but she felt more fear than most would have.

She was going to cross the bridge into slavery, or prostitution, her life would never be the same if she crossed it. She let out a fierce yell and sent her elbow into Naraku's soft stomach behind her.

She heard the wind rush out of him and she took the chance to roll off the horse. She hit the ground hard on her side, but was on her feet and running even as the pain clouded her vision. She heard a demonic growl behind her and the clopping of hooves as the horse turned and gave chase after her.

She knew she was losing in a race for her life, but she refused to give up. Just as she heard the horses footsteps get right behind her, she skidded to a stop and ran to the side.

Naraku was again taken by surprise and again had to turn the horse and backtrack.

The horse gathered speed and rushed her again, Kagome heard Naraku unsheathe his sword and she tried to gauge the distance between him and her. As the distance shrunk, she figured in how long the sword was and dropped into roll just as she heard it hiss over her head. Was he trying to KILL her?  
The horse turned again and Kagome jumped to her feet. But she was too slow, and before she could take to running again, Naraku had whacked her on the back of the head with the broad side of his sword.

Kagome collapsed a heap as she panted, and just before she fell into unconsciousness she saw Naraku jump of the horse and begin to curse. She winced as he kicked her hard in her sore side, but she was in the darkness before she could feel much more.

Kagome awoke to several changes. It was dark outside; and though she was still laying down, her side and head hurt more, and the ropes on her wrists had been tightened to the pointed of cutting off circulation and movement was impossible; and they were now tied over her head, connecting her to the base of a small tree. Her feet were tied again, and the rope holding them was tied to the base of a tree at her feet.

Making her lay stretched out, like she was in a hammock instead of being tied on the ground. He had tied all the knots perfectly and Kagome could barely move at all in the position he had tied her in. She bit her lip and winced as she broke the tender and already abused skin on her wrists and ankles. It was useless.

She refused to think more. Shutting her eyes she tried to erase all thought from her mind while simultaneously praying for sleep and strength.

DAY 4:

As dawns light shined in her eyes, Kagome heard Naraku moving around.

She opened her eyes and winced a bit, but as soon as her eyes had adjusted she watched him move. He prepared a small meal, ate it, and packed up the horse again.

Then his eyes turned on her. Kagome gave him a "go to hell" look and then watched as he untied her feet from all bounds and rolled up the rope. Then he packed it and slowly came back to her.

Nether spoke but Kagome knew he was raging inside. She flinched as he untied the rope from the tree but not from her hands, would the circulation ever return???

He tugged on the rope and walked over to the horse. Kagome followed him weakly and prepared for him to lift her up onto the saddle; but he never did.

She opened her eyes and saw him tie the ropes end to the saddle horn and kick the horse in the side.

Kagome yelled and was jerked to the ground. She winced as a sharp rock scratched her forearm and looked up at Naraku who stopped the horse.

"Because of your stupid actions yesterday, you get to run today" he growled out. "Now pick up the damn pace or I will fucking drag you."

The horse was kicked back up into a trot and Kagome had to run to keep up. She fell often, and he would always drag her from a minute or so before he stopped the horse and gave her time to get up. Then they would run again.

The day passed gruelingly slow and by nightfall Kagome could barely walk and had enough scratches and bruises to make her look like a different person.

Naraku let her drink, eat, and use the bathroom, and then he tied her down as he had the night before.

Kagome barely noticed the strained position as exhaustion took over and she was forcefully dragged into sleep.

DAY 5:

This day passed just as the last one had. Kagome woke up tired and fell more then she had before and Naraku dragged her longer when she fell.

But they started to see other demons. She saw them in all sizes and all shapes, some she had seen before and some she had only heard of.

Each of them gave her a kick as they went by, or a growl, or a rough smack. She now knew just how hard it was to be a human prisoner in the demon territory. Naraku spoke less and less as the day went by, which would have been just fine if it hadn't meant that Kagome was left to fend for herself as the demons treatment grew worse and worse.

As night fell, Naraku found suitable trees, and tied up Kagome. And just as she was about to fall asleep she heard someone enter the camp.

She kept her eyes shut but listened carefully to the demon and Naraku's conversation.

"Kouga?" Naraku's voice growled.

A laugh was his answer, "Man I nearly snuck up on you, I think your losing you touch."

"I am not" Naraku growled, "I'm just fucking tired of dragging this human around and not being able to fuck her.  
Kouga snickered, poor little Naraku! He finally sees something he wants and he can't touch it.

Kagome heard a thump and a yelp as she assumed Naraku threw a rock at Kouga.

"I'm just ready to get rid of her." Naraku ground out.

Kouga walked over near her, "Well she is quite a fox, to bad you let her get all these damn scrapes though, Sesshomaru won't be pleased."

Naraku snorted, "Sesshomaru isn't King yet, as far as I'm concerned he can shove his displeasure up his ass!"  
Kouga snorted, "Yah, and that's why when he told you to go get her you said, YES MASTER and fetched her like a little puppy."

Naraku threw another rock.

"Ouch, stop doing that. Look, I'll keep watch; get some sleep- you look like you need it." Kouga murmured and flopped down a few feet from her.

Soon Kagome fell back asleep and woke up to the morning sun.

DAY 6:

As she opened her eyes she jumped to see that Kouga's face was mere inches from hers.

"Man, would you check out her eyes?" he asked Naraku who was readying the horses.

Kagome growled and jerked her head away from his, only to have him catch her chin in his hand a few seconds later and turn it back.

"She's intense, I mean, most demons don't have that much hatred in their eyes." He kept talking though Kagome was the only one listening.

"You know I'm glad I'm not you. I probably would have already bedded her by now" Kouga laughed and pressed his lips roughly against hers.

Kagome yelped and tried to pull away, but Kouga took advantage of the yelp and slid his tongue into her mouth.

Kagome felt his finger tip press into her cheek between her back teeth. He was preventing her from biting down and forcing her to open her mouth farther.

Kagome felt like a toy, as she had predicted she would; and she was forced to sit and endure the kiss as Kouga's tongue roamed her mouth and teased her own tongue.

When he finally pulled away she turned her head and spit viciously on the ground causing Kouga to laugh.

"I like her!" he grinned at Naraku and picked her up after the other demon had untied her feet.

"Would you like to ride on my lap today?" he asked sweetly, lips still in her space.

Kagome briefly considered the pain she would endure if she walked again today, but then she considered him touching her inappropriately the rest of the day.

"I'd rather eat a rotten carcass!" she growled out and waited for a smack.

Instead Kouga laughed, "I REALLY LIKE HER!"

Naraku sighed and climbed onto his horse, then he jerked Kagome over and draped her over his horse's shoulders again. Kagome grunted and glared at Kouga who was laughing so hard tears were springing from his eyes.

Naraku ignored the wolf demon and kicked his horse, "If we run them, we can be at the palace by midnight…"

Kouga nodded, "Oh how I do miss my bed!"

The two horses galloped off at full speed, the demons tossed insults to each other back and forth and the day passed quickly overall.

Too quickly for Kagome; she had heard what Naraku had said, 'the palace'… She was going to meet the dreaded evil brothers? Would she be THEIR play things…could that be why Naraku had been forbidden to touch her?


	2. Chapter 2

**DAY 6, that night:**

**Kagome hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep until she was awoken by an especially hard jolt from the horse. Night had fallen and the horses had slowed to a walk.**

** She raised her head, many demons were around them, and they all seemed to be traveling in the same direction as them. Kagome felt an enormous gathering of demons auras in front of her and craned her neck to the side so she could see better.**

** What she saw made her want to go back to sleep. Made from the hard rock that had been surrounding them for days, was the castle; tall and steep, it rose out of the ground in jagged slices.**

** Kagome had never understood much when people and demons alike had spoken of the castle, but now she did, originally a volcanic mountain, it was hollowed out into catacombs of rooms and had several different entries and exits near its base. **

** Kagome swallowed the lump that had collected in her throat as she watched the intimidating rock loom up above her in the darkness. How could it be darker than the night around it? Kagome shivered, knowing that great evil had been done here, and there was probably more to come.**

** She watched as a steady stream of demons entered the rock through the largest of the holes in its base. Naraku veered the horses away from the path and moved around the mountain; where in the back stood another rock about half the size of the original.**

** Many horses were gathered around it and Kagome could only assume that it served as a stable. **

** Naraku dismounted and pulled her off, then he handed her ties to Kouga and led both his and Kouga's horses into the black rock that was lit by torches spaced evenly apart on its inner walls.**

** Kouga griped her shoulder and waited for Naraku to return silently, which was just as well because Kagome could feel her voice leaving her. **

** When Naraku did return, he gripped the back of her other arm and he and Kouga led her up into the back entrance where an ogre-ish demon was guarding the door.**

** "Naraku and Kouga, who's that with you?" he growled out.**

** Kagome tried to swallow her fear but felt it seeping out of her anyway.**

** "This is a gift for Lord Sesshomaru" Naraku replied and then led Kagome past the guard without waiting for a reply.**

** Torches kept them from being in complete darkness but the demons had no trouble seeing the steps as Kagome did. They walked briskly and Kagome was almost carried up the hundreds of winding stairs that led to her destiny.**

** After what seemed like an eternity, the small group stopped in front of a small door which Naraku opened. **

** Once inside, Kouga untied Kagome and threw her loose into the room, then Naraku and Kouga stepped out and Kagome heard a key slid into the lock on the door and click. After their footsteps receded, Kagome realized she was in complete darkness. **

** She glanced around her hurriedly and listened for sounds of another presence in her cell…nothing. She stood up and found the door with her hand. Then she dragged her hands across the wall and scooted around the room until she had made a complete circle, scratching her hands on the rough walls in the process. **

** There was absolutely nothing in the room but her and musty air. The room was a small one, and the floor was basically the rock that made up the walls and ceiling; meaning it was rough and scratchy.**

** She got down on her knees and scooted softly around the base of the room, pressing on loose rocks and digging out others until she met ones that wouldn't budge, failing in finding any weakness or place to crawl out. She would have to wait till morning outside to be able to tell if there were any small cracks in the walls that led to the outside walls.**

** She curled up in the farthest corner from the door and wrapped her arms around her legs, trying to gather the little warmth she could in the strange and bizarre environment. Slowly she fell into a dark sleep that resembled the cell she was in.**

** Time passed without anything to mark it, but Kagome awoke to light streaming under the door of her small uninviting room.**

** She heard the voice of a man and froze in place, listening to what he said.**

** "Well she looks like crap from here, I had heard rumors that she was beautiful…" the man growled.**

** Naraku spoke up, "I think she is nice my lord, but the journey here was hard, especially with her fighting me every step of the way…"**

** Sesshomaru laughed, "It's good to know she has some spirit, she may survive here longer. But nonetheless, I wanted a beauty and I get a ragamuffin. Have Kagura bathe her and clean her wounds. Then you can feed and water her, make sure she has a place to go to the bathroom… and maybe get a torch in here. I don't want her to die…yet. She is worth more to me alive."**

** "Yes sir," Naraku murmured and the two men left, locking the door behind them again.**

** Kagome sighed and stretched out a bit, glad to know she was going to be cared for at least a little bit; still her mind was troubled about how long she would be here. Lord Sesshomaru thought she was a ragamuffin… which was good- maybe she wouldn't get raped.**

** Before her thoughts could continue much farther the door was opened again and a female stepped in. **

** The girl glared at her, "Get up."**

** Kagome did so, not planning on ruining her chances of getting a bath.**

** The girl nodded, "Come here and turn your back to me so I can tie your hands."**

** Kagome did as the young demon ordered and had her wrists tied again. Then the girl led her briskly down the hallway, making sure to keep the rope taunt.**

** Kagome turned when the girl ordered and did everything as she was told. About fifteen minutes of walking passed before Kagome finally decided to speak up.**

** "Look, I don't want any trouble, but I'm about to fall over…so is the bath close?" She asked as nicely as possible.**

** The girl studied her for a moment then pushed Kagome on again, "It's only a few yards away…"**

** Kagome nodded and walked the rest of the distance. Then the female demon opened the door and followed Kagome in. **

** Kagome looked around through the mist filled room and realized that the old volcano was still a little active, and kept a warm spring flowing under it. Kagome waited for Kagura to untie her.**

** Once untied she looked at the demon, "Are you going to watch?"  
Kagura gave her a sneer, "Well I do LOVE to watch women bathe…but I'm not doing it for pleasure- you're a prisoner in case you forgot."**

** Kagome sighed and undressed, deciding that it was better to take a bath in front of this girl demon than another male who would touch her… She shivered in disgust and then slid into the relaxing water.**

** "Could you like tie me down and leave me here for like two hours?" she asked, eyes shut in wonder.**

** The demon snorted, "Just like a human. And no, I won't leave you, so hurry your ass up."**

** Kagome sighed and started to scrub her sore skin with the soap that the demon chose to throw at her a second ago.**

** Even as she hurried, it still took her a good hour to get all the dirt and grime off of her and out of her hair. **

** But once she was done, Kagura cleaned and bandaged all of her wounds and gave her clean clothes to wear; which Kagome immediately slipped on. Then they walked back up to Kagome's holding cell and Kagura untied her and left- making sure to lock the door behind her.**

** Kagome was delighted to find a torch illuminating one wall, a blanket on the floor (though a little ragged, it was still a blanket), a plate of stale bread and dried up meat, and a small jug of water. She sighed at the fact that all these small things had her giggling when she should be working to get free. She kicked at a rock, frustrated, and then noticed a good sized clay pot in one corner… DID THEY ACTUALLY EXPECT HER TO USE THE BATHROOM IN THAT?**

** She growled to herself and shoveled the dry food into her mouth, then downed half of the water in the jug. Once done she was surprised by her amount of sleepiness and decided she had nothing better to do anyway…and went to sleep.**

**DAY 7:**

** When Kagome awoke, she had a new torch burning, and another plate of food. She ate slowly, and then drank some water from the jug. Then, regrettably, she walked over and used the clay pot; blushing even though no one was around.**

** Kagome then found herself sighing again and crawling back over to her blanket where she once again cuddled up on the floor. She HAD to think of a way to get out of this hell hole…it was only a matter of time until she went crazy.**

** About an hour or so later (Kagome guessed), Kagura came in and changed all the bandages. Kagome sat patiently while she was tended to and just when Kagura was almost done she decided to speak up.**

** "Is there anything I can do while I'm stuck here?" she asked in a sweet tone.**

** Kagura glared at the human girl, "Well you could thank the gods that you aren't going to be tortured for all the ones of our race that you have killed."**

** Kagome sighed, "You have killed my people too."**

** Kagura shrugged, "Yes but I haven't been captured by my enemy, so I don't need to be thankful for not being tortured."**

** Kagome sighed, "Whatever just tell me what I can and CAN'T do."**

** Kagura smiled, "You can do anything that doesn't involve leaving this room."**

** Kagome sighed but decided that it was for her safety not to argue further. Kagura finished up in silence and then walked out of the room again.**

** Kagome rolled out of her small excuse for a bed and stood up, she wanted to run, or swim, or jump, or fight! She missed her lessons with a sword that one of the villagers had been teaching her. She gripped her hands in the air like she was holding a sword, she imagined ones weight, and she balanced the imaginary weapon in her hands.**

** Then a whirl of motion, she swung the weapon in a circle; closing her eyes, she kept her feet stationary and wove her weapon through the air, slashing at invisible enemies.**

** Soon her breathing was labored, as she now opened her eyes and started jumping around the room. Stabbing at demons here and slashing at them there, she grunted as her body moved in a particularly hard maneuver- even without the damn sword. **

** At one point she swung her sword sideways and then turned on her heel and stabbed an imaginary demon behind her; throwing herself off balance. She fell to the ground with a thud and winced as she felt her butt throb.**

** Clapping made her jerk and look up at the door; standing there was another female demon, this one had fiery orange hair and bright green eyes.**

** The demon smiled at her, "My name is Ayame, I was sent here to keep you…sane. Though I think I might be a little late."**

** Kagome snorted, "I don't need another demon to argue with."**

** Ayame smiled, "Then I won't argue with you…" With that, she shut the door behind her tail and sat down in the floor of the dank room.**

** Kagome sighed at looked at the demon as she tried to catch her breath, "Can I ask you something?"**

** Ayame nodded, "Yeah- but I don't promise to answer."**

** Kagome rolled her eyes, "Why am I being kept here? Lord Sesshomaru has already said I wasn't his type…"**

** Ayame frowned, "Well I don't know much about that, but if it were me, I wouldn't let you go simply because you are an enemy."**

** Kagome nodded, "I guess your right but I would rather be killed then sit in here and rot my life away- it's boring and dark."**

** Ayame nodded, "Well no one said you couldn't have fun- you like sword play? Maybe I could bring a couple of old ones in and we could practice!"**

** Kagome stared at the young demon, "You trust me with a sword?"**

** Ayame shrugged, "It's not like you could beat me…"**

** Kagome frowned but nodded-her true skill was the bow, though she wished she were more intimidating, "Yah okay, whatever. But I would like that; can you bring one tomorrow?"**

** Ayame nodded, "Yah- and I'll try to find out a little as to what Sesshomaru plans on doing with you."**

** Kagome nodded, "Okay- but why?"  
Ayame shrugged with a smile, "I don't see any harm in it- and I won't have to go to far out of my way to do it…plus I kinda like you- you seem nice, for a human."**

** Kagome decided not to laugh at the irony that she had been thinking the same about the demon, "Well thank you- and I appreciate it."**

** The girl nodded, "Till tomorrow then."**

** Kagome nodded a good-bye to the girl and then flopped back down on her blanket… was it possible that she had actually found a friend in this horrible place?**

** The rest of the day passed without any notice- and Kagome ate dinner in silence, she hated to admit it- but she was looking forward to seeing Ayame tomorrow.**

** After a little more exercise and a little more mindless jumping around, Kagome flopped down on her bed and forced sleep to surround her without thinking about the horrible place around her.**

**DAY 8:**

** Kagome awoke with her meager breakfast sitting in front of her and Ayame dozing in the corner with two sword lying next to her. Kagome slowly ate her food and watched the demon.**

** Was she testing her? Could this be her only chance to ever get out? How would she get away even if she did get out of this stupid room….**

** She didn't realize that she had been growling until Ayame stirred and looked at her.**

** "Ready to play?" the demon asked with a childlike smile.**

** Kagome was caught by how young this demon must be to be so innocent and untouched by evil, "Yes…" She shoveled down the rest of her breakfast into her mouth and took the sword that Ayame had handed to her.**

** Kagome barely had time to get into a ready stance before the young demon girl had pounced on her and was attacking her with a passion.**

** Kagome did well to match the girl, block for jab, one or two times before the demon gained the upper hand and gave Kagome a painful smack somewhere on her body. Ayame made sure to hit her with the blunt of the blade, leaving only temporary red marks that stung but caused no real damage.**

** The girls fought for an hour, took a break, fought a little more, took another break, and by the time her dinner came Kagome was dragging the ground.**

** Ayame bowed to the human girl and then left the room to eat her own dinner.**

** Kagome ate her food in a thoughtful silence and then fell into yet another exhaustion induced sleep.**

**DAY 9:**

** Kagome awoke late- she could tell by how cold her usually mildly warm food had gotten. Ayame was again asleep on the other side of the room and Kagome counted her blessings as she ate her breakfast with sore arms and hands.**

** Kagome finished her meal, used the bathroom and had just settled back into her bed when Ayame again awoke, "Ready to play?"**

** Kagome nodded and took her offered sword, and was immediately hit with a barrage of swings and attacks of Ayame's sword.**

** It took a while for the soreness to leave Kagome's muscles, but when it did she fought with a renewed vigor, yet still had yet to actually land a blow on the quick demon.**

** In one of their breaks Ayame broke their long silence, "I spoke to Kagura yesterday…"**

** Kagome looked up and made the connection that Kagura was her nurse…her mean nurse, "And…"**

** "She believes that Sesshomaru is giving you to Lord Inuyasha as a present for his twenty first birthday" Ayame said as she took a gulp of her own water.**

** Kagome turned instantly on the female demon, "WHAT? GIVING ME? LIKE IM SOME DAMN POSSESION? ARE YOU SERIOUS?"  
Ayame nodded calmly, "Yes, I'm not sure about it- but if it is true- then you should know that Inuyasha's birthday is only four days away."**

** Kagome growled, "How do I stop this? I can't be GIVEN to someone!"**

** Ayame shook her head, "You can't stop it, so embrace it. Take your sword."**

** Kagome took the sword and was instantly attacked, but still her mind buzzed on, whenever Ayame slowed for a moment she spoke, "Embrace it? Where is there---uh---any…good in this?"**

** Ayame spoke through her own panted breaths as she continued to ward off Kagome's blows and land her own, "Inuyasha is beautiful… and cold. He is perfect to look at but not… to speak too. He has a temper, but he rarely speaks to anyone, save a few trusted friends; so he won't… bother you. And if you are to become his mistress…I'm sure he knows how to please a woman… he definitely has the right equipment for it… I'm told."**

** Kagome off a blush as she fought off Ayame, "That's…disgusting…I'm a priestess…I MUST remain a virgin until I find love and marry."**

** Ayame shrugged, "You no longer have a choice…so just, embrace!"**

** Kagome redoubled her efforts and managed to give Ayame a hard hit to the side, but as she grinned and stood still the demon whacked her back on the side of the head. **

** "Don't stop in the middle of the fight to grin smugly, or you will be killed." Ayame laughed as she now grinned at Kagome who was rubbing the side of her face.**

** They practiced for an hour more and then Ayame left and Kagome relaxed and ate her dinner, musing over what Inuyasha looked like and what exactly she would have to do for him… she got up and used the bathroom then laid back down.**

** Snuggling the blanket, she closed her eyes; she had become accustomed to the hard floor and now just enjoyed it as a place to rest her tired and aching body.**

**DAY 10:**

** Kagome awoke to her usual view. Ayame sat dozing on the other side of the room and her breakfast was cold. **

** She ate it hurriedly and used the bathroom, and then she grabbed her sword from Ayame's feet and gave a loud war cry that had Ayame on her feet and blinking in seconds.**

** Kagome laughed, "Ready to play?"**

** Ayame grinned and attacked the human. **

** Kagome was still vastly out measured, but at this point she could at least fend off Ayame for three or four blows before she was smacked.**

** They fought in silence, neither having anything important to say and each simply liking the sporadic activity. **

** Hours flew by and before Kagome knew it, her dinner had once again been brought in and her breakfast plate taken out. But today was different, she was given rice today- though a little stale it was still good- and there was roast beef with it that was still steaming.**

** Kagome dug in with fervor and watched as Ayame pulled out a scroll of paper and a small bottle of ink with a brush tied to it.**

** "I thought you might like this…" Ayame sat the stuff down and left before Kagome could give her thanks.**

** After eating her meal, Kagome grabbed the scroll and sat down in her bed, contemplating what to draw or write. Perhaps a gift to show her gratitude…**

** Finally she started to paint a picture of Ayame. Not too much detail was involved, but someone would still be able to tell that it was Ayame and a little about her features.**

** Under it Kagome wrote, "A light in the darkness…" and then she waited for it to dry and rolled it back up. With her picture made, she slid the scroll protectively under her blanket near the wall and slowly allowed sleep to surround her.**

**DAY 11:**

** Two days left. Kagome awoke with a start, as her mouth watered in sleep. She looked around for the cause and found a steaming bowl of soup sitting next to her with another jug of water next to it and fresh bread.**

** Kagome groaned and started to shove all the food into her mouth as if it would disappear if she didn't hurry.**

** Ayame watched smiling.**

** Kagome laughed around the food, "Did you do this?"**

** Ayame shook her head, "No, I believe Lord Sesshomaru ordered it so you wouldn't be scrawny when he gave you to Inuyasha."**

** The food turned to ash in her mouth and Kagome spat out the mouthful she had, "I can't eat this then."**

** Ayame frowned now, "I don't see why, its good food."**

** Kagome nodded, "It is, but I have to look as pathetic as possible when I'm given to Inuyasha so he won't want to bed me."**

** Ayame sighed, "I already told you, Inuyasha is a fine man to bed! He will probably just screw you once and ignore you the rest of the time."**

** Kagome balked, "Does he do that often?"**

** Ayame shrugged, "It's common for demons of high rank to sleep with women frequently just to relieve a little of the enormous amount of stress they bare. And Inuyasha bares more stress than most."**

** Kagome frowned, "Isn't he the younger brother? Why would he have MORE stress than Sesshomaru?"**

** Ayame shook her head as if it should be obvious, "Inuyasha isn't accepted by all demons because of his blood, so he constantly has to prove himself."**

** Kagome sighed, "I knew that…BUT I DON'T CARE! I don't want to be owned by someone, and if I can I will kill him in his sleep."**

** Ayame instantly grew dark, "If you lay a single finger on him the entire demon race will be shouting for your blood- and if you think this is bad you will cry at the mere THOUGHT of what will happen if you do that."**

** Kagome gulped, she hadn't meant to offend the demon, if fact she hadn't even meant what she had said- though she would attempt to escape. She opened her mouth to apologize but before she could Ayame had stood and left the room, taking her swords with her.**

** Kagome sighed, and then ate the rest of her soup. The smell was too delicious to ignore and Ayame had been right, she might as well EMBRACE…or at least pretend to embrace and retaliate when the moment it right.**

** She ate the food, feeling like a queen and then sat on the floor, bored.**

** She twiddled her thumbs and practiced a few sword maneuvers before she flopped down and napped the rest of the day.**

**DAY 12:**

** Kagome woke up later than usual, but when she looked eagerly at where Ayame usually sat, she was dismayed to find the female demon was not there. **

** She found a nicely prepared breakfast waiting, a couple eggs and a slab of some sort of meat that tasted a little like pork.**

** She ate the food, talked to herself for a while, drew in the dirt part of the floor, and danced around the cave to her own music.**

** When she was done she was out of breath. A guard entered, took her empty plate and replaced it with more food.**

** Kagome ate it, knowing she was like the pig being fattened up before its slaughter.**

** She spent the rest of the day wallowing in self pity, then setting her mind on her determined path, then wallowing some more…**

** Sleep found her in a ball, arms wrapped around her legs with her head resting on her legs, tearing streaming down her cheeks as she remembered friends that she would never see again, and a life she would never live again.**

**Day of the birthday:**

** Kagome ate her enormous breakfast and then was surprised as Kagura walked into her cave of a cell.**

** Kagome ignored the demons presence and hummed a soft tune as she stared at the ceiling of the cave.**

** Kagura cleared her throat to get the humans attention.**

** Kagome looked at her, "You might want to see a healer; that cough sounds bad." Then she went back to staring at the ceiling.**

** Kagura growled, "Get your ass up and come here."**

** Kagome did as she was told and then winced as the demon next to her tied her hands firmly behind her back. Then she was dragged out of the room and down one of the winding pathways into the mountain. **

** A little later Kagome found herself in the familiar bathroom area… with four female demons.**

** Kagome frowned, "Am I taking a bath with them?"**

** Kagura untied the human and pushed her into the steamy water.**

** Kagome yelped as the demons set upon her, scrubbing every part of her body with sweet smelling soap. Kagome struggled to free herself, but to no avail. When she opened her mouth to yell or argue one of the women slopped soap on her face and into her mouth.**

** "Keep your mouth shut priestess, or you will catch a fly!" all the demons laughed as they continued to give her a bruising bath.**

** When Kagome finally got out of the pool she smelled of cherries and her skin had a new pink hue to it.**

**Instantly she was wrapped in an enormous blanket and dragged back through the halls. She let the demons push and pull her until they finally stopped at a door; Kagome realized that it wasn't HER door. **

**She braced herself for the worst but found herself being dragged into a nicely decorated room. Strips of fabric hung in loops and dips over the room and there were several wooden tables around its sides, each with a female demon sitting next to it. **

**One woman pulled towards a table and then forced her down on her knees. Kagome looked up at the demon, but the woman ignored her gaze and started rubbing smelling oils into her hair. It was then that Kagome caught on; she was being fixed up for the prince. **

**She flinched as the demon raked a jagged comb through her hair, jerking until each and every tangle in her long hair was gone. She sat for awhile as the woman styled her hair out of her face and stuck little white beads in it. When the demon was done, Kagome's hair held a few soft curls and was as smooth as silk with each little bead making it look all the more lustrous.**

**Before Kagome had time to marvel at the demon's work she was dragged off to one of the other tables. At this one, several female demons proceeded to spread large amounts of oil over her skin, they didn't slow until every inch of her smooth skin shimmered in the light and carried the faint scent of cherries.**

**Then two demons jerked her to the side and measured her waist with little strings. After a few moments, they brought over a long white, thin strip of fabric, as long as Kagome was tall. Kagome blinked in confusion as they wrapped its middle around her breasts and tied it in a neat knot in the back. Kagome wiggled slightly, feeling the excess fabric running down her back and stopping just before the floor.**

** Then the two demons grabbed a long white skirt and pulled it up Kagome's legs. Kagome moved to help them and then fought the urge to wiggle again as the silk caressed her skin, she was a slave being treated to royalty. The demons pulled out daggers and slit the sides of the skirt from the floor to Kagome's hips, exposing her creamy skin. Kagome coughed, "Is that necessary?"**

** The demons ignored her and pulled the ties of her top out of her skirt, then resituated her hair so it fell perfectly over her shoulders and cascaded down her back. **

** Next she was sat down at a small table were a demon kneeled in front of her. The woman seemed friendly as she slowly rubbed a little line of coal around her eyes, making them seem more intense and sultry. Kagome smiled as the woman then rubbed a pale cream over her face and a little pink dye to her lips, not even as a high priestess had she gotten such divine treatment…**

** Kagura stomped her foot, "I know it takes a long time to make her presentable but we are going to be late if it takes much longer."**

** As Kagome stood and turned to look at demon she heard the evil woman gasp. **

** Kagura quickly covered up her shock at seeing the human so exotic; she hated the girl even more for it. She grabbed Kagome's arm dragged her through the halls again, stopping to the side and out of view of an enormous opening from which sounding of drinking and laughing could be heard. **

** Kagome gulped and before she knew what was happening Kagura had tied shackles around her ankles. Kagome opened her mouth to argue but Kagura glared at her and put other shackles on her wrists. **

** Kagome's heart pounded faster as she heard a deep voice boom from inside the room to her side.**

** "For your birthday brother, I have searched the land for the perfect present. I looked long and hard for such a gift and decided I was only fit to give both an enemy to kill, a virgin to deflower, and slave to perform your every command… May I present to you, Priestess Kagome!"**

** Kagome's breath caught in her throat as Kagura pushed her through the entrance to the huge room. The demons roared and cheered as she walked (as best she could in shackles), in front of Kagura. Many of them sneered and spat while still others shouted vulgar statements about her body that horrified her.**

** Kagome held her head high and ignored their cold jeers and snarls, hoping they couldn't hear her heart pounding in her chest. Kagura walked her up to the throne-like dais that held two white haired demons,**

** Both seemed regal and handsome, and both wore white hakama pants and no shirts over their toned chests that were painted or tattooed in black tribal marks. One had ears like an elf and red slashes across his cheeks and a purple moon on his forehead. The other had dog-like ears and glowing amber eyes. Both demons stared at her, captivated and wearing similar awed expressions.**

** Kagura pushed her up to the golden eyed demon that looked more like a god and Kagome assumed him to be Inuyasha. Before Kagome could speak or show her disdain for him, Kagura kicked the back of her legs, making her knees collapse under her.**

** Kagome fell to the floor, throwing out her hands to catch herself at the same time that another pair of stronger hands caught her shoulders. Kagome looked up with a surprised expression and the demon removed his hands before she could object. For a moment she just stared at her new master, feeling both awe and anger for him, and not sure what to do with either. No longer could she hear the jeering shouts or rough laughter. She watched as his golden eyes started to darken and the demon within him began to awaken hungrily, a look that had her entire body thrumming with energy… then she realized her hand was on his thigh, clenching his muscle as she fought with her emotions.**

** Kagome jerked her hand away and looked back up into the demons face, only to see another change.**

** His heated look had vanished only to be replaced by an emotionless mask. His eyes were cold, and though golden, reminded her more of steel. Either everyone in the room was blind or she was the only one that could see his pain. **

** She blinked, not wanting to care whether or not he hurt, and looked away from his gaze.**

** "Though she is your gift, I fully expect to get a turn with her myself after you take her innocence" Sesshomaru said as he ran his eyes over the woman's body; her hadn't realized just how nicely she would clean up. **

** "We'll see brother," Inuyasha said in his deep voice, not intending to ever let his brother touch this little vixen. He had only laid eyes upon her once before, and she had been in the midst of battle and not noticed him- but both then and now, he admired her for her courage and strength. She was no delicate flower, but a beautiful rose with the power to draw blood. Inuyasha caught the scent of cherries and realized it was coming off her. He growled under his breath, his brother had ordered that they "sex her up" so she would be more enticing, but she didn't need it. He was having trouble just keeping his hands to himself. **

** The room was again filled with laughter and cheers as demons started to dance and drink again.**

** Kagome was amazed at all the shapes and sizes of the demons and all the toothy smiles and happy expressions. Kagome was seeing a side of the pillaging demons that she had never seen before. They rejoiced a birthday and danced about while others played modified instruments; just like humans did.**

** Her new master was silent throughout the rest of the festival and whenever she peeked at him she saw he was still wearing a closed expression as he watched the crowd.**

** Kagome followed his lead and kept the silence until all the demons finally left the room or passed out in it. Sesshomaru wished Inuyasha another year of life and left.**

** Inuyasha looked down at his little gift and stood. Kagome looked up at him and then stood next to him. Energy flew through him as he saw the gentle curve of her hips and the sexy slit made in the skirt all the way up to her hip. **

** "Follow me," he said, not asking but telling, and then he walked off.**

** Kagome growled, damn him for being so arrogant. What made him think that she would follow him so easily? She cursed under her breath and started to follow him, knowing that arguing wasn't an option.**

** He walked a few steps ahead of her and led her down the long path towards his room. **

** Once there, he opened the large oak door and walked in, shutting it behind her. **

** Kagome gaped at the lush room, an enormous bed occupied a third of the room, covered in red silk. All along the walls, more red silk was draped in soft curves and swirls, masking the ugliness of the rock under it. Along another wall was a large rack holding an assortment of weapons, from daggers to swords to spears to axes, all richly decorated and gleaming in the candles that lit the room.**

** Kagome looked down in surprise and saw that the jagged rock floor had been scraped down and made flat and smooth. Kagome blinked in awe, she had never seen this kind of royalty before, not even with humans.**

** She sat down on the edge of the bed and turned to watch him as he shuffled around the room.**

** He picked up a sword off the wall and then turned and strode out the door.**

** "Wait, where are you going? What am I supposed to do in here?" she said standing and moving to follow him.**

** Inuyasha sighed, wanting only to get away from her and the temptation she made him feel. "I don't care human. Leave if you want, escape back home, just don't touch my shit."**

** She blinked as he walked away from the still open door and down the hall. After a few seconds she moved over to the door and looked for him in the hallway. He had really left…**

** She briefly debated making the escape attempt he had mentioned, but then thought better of it. Not only was she in a strange building in a strange land, but she was chained and surrounded by her enemy. No…she would be patient. Just a bit longer. **


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, its me, Kelsi...you know, the author? Lol. Ok, Im a dork, granted. But I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I loved you, and thank you guys for the reviews. My story Keeping Up Pretenses is still coming along (if you havent read it, you should go check it out...and review *nudge nudge*), and I wanted to let you guys know (if any of you are fans of Odd Couple), that I will also be finishing it soon. I've been lazy, but I'm back on the horse *for the moment* lol, and I'm circling back to my beginnings. So yes, Odd Couple WILL be finished. Yay! Cheers! Woot! And all that. Anyway, on to what you REALLY came for, INU SMUT! *purrs*

Inuyasha walked into his room several hours later, nearly dawn since he had been out all night, and was surprised to find his new pet asleep in his bed; though it WAS late, she should have been more aware of her surroundings. His eyes ran appreciatively over the slope of her hips and the soft pucker in her top where her breasts strained against the tight fabric.

He walked over and touched the soft skin on her thigh just below the slit in her skirt. She gave a soft purr in her sleep but did not wake. Inuyasha slid his hand down the silky smooth leg until he came in contact with her shackles; he growled at the chains that marred her beauty, and then he pulled out the key Kagura had given him.

He unlocked the chains and pulled them from her slender ankles; then he moved up to her hands. He sat down on the bed and touched her hands gently, moving them so he could get to the lock.

Kagome's eyes flew open and she jerked away from him accusingly, "Come to rape me in my sleep?"

Inuyasha gave a bitter laugh, "Actually I was taking off your chains, but if you prefer to wear them…"

Kagome frowned but decided not to insult him further, "I'm sorry, I was just…"

"Scared?" he answered for her as he undid the shackles from her hands.

"Surprised…" she corrected him.

Inuyasha tried to ignore the red, inflamed skin around her wrists; she had struggled against them and made herself bleed. Inuyasha sighed, "I told you that you could leave."

Kagome shot him a blank stare, "I am not dumb, it would have been suicide to run through that maze of a hallway in these chains and half naked."

Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah, probably."

Kagome sighed, "Please, just send me back to the dungeon… at least there I can do what I want and I don't have to worry about being raped."

Inuyasha growled, "You don't have you worry about getting raped, you're not my type. You see, I like my women beautiful and strong and EXPERIENCED."

Kagome wasn't sure why the blow hurt, but it did, "Good, because I like men that think with the head on their shoulders, not the one between their legs."

Inuyasha wanted to roll on top of her and teach her that both of his heads were in agreement on this matter. He settled for standing up and grabbing her ankle, then pulling her out of his bed by it.

She yelled as she hit the floor, "DAMN YOU! Stop that! I already have a huge headache!"

Inuyasha shrugged, "It's your own fault. Whenever you learn to hold your tongue and obey me, I'll let you back in the bed and even have a few perks. Till then, you're nothing more then a pet in my mind…in fact…"

Kagome shivered as he got up and left the room with a mischievous look on his face.

He returned only a moment later with a padded leather collar and a long chain. He smiled and shut the door behind him. He didn't want to break her spirit, but he did want to see it bend a little bit.

Silently he pulled a nail with a large hole in its end from the end of the chain. With tense muscles he shoved the nail into the wall and then grabbed an axe from the far side of the room. He turned the blade sideways and then used it to hammer the nail the rest of the way into the wall. When he was done, and the nail secure, he hooked the end of the chain to it, locked it in place, and then turned towards her with the collar.

Kagome glared at him, "Don't you dare…"

Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down on the ground until she was lying on her back and he was straddling her chest and arms. Kagome struggled under him and he had to bite his lip to keep from acting on the arousal she was stirring up.

With stead fast determination he hooked the collar on her neck and secured it with a lock also.

Throughout the entire ordeal Kagome called him every name in the book, cursing him and his family for generations back and many more to come. She prayed for his death to be slow and painful and for her to be the one to cause it.

Inuyasha wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation but he chose instead to stand up and allow her to test the length of her new chain…just enough to keep her about five feet from the door. Though she was next to his wall of weapons, he wasn't too terribly worried.

Kagome sat up but refused to choke herself on the chain. Inuyasha smiled; her intelligence was constantly surprising him.

"Whenever you choose to apologize, I will let you rise to the level of human" Inuyasha gave her a nod goodnight and then flopped down on his comfortable bed.

Kagome seethed in silent fury. She felt along the wall of the cave and then fought with a loose rock until she pried it from the wall. With an evil grin she threw the rock onto the bed.

A satisfying yelp reached her ears, followed by a snarl, "Kagome, if you do that again, I will be forced to bind your hands together and gag you."

Kagome grumbled and watched as he kicked the rock from his bed. He sent her a glare and then took the torch from the wall near him and put it out; showering the room in darkness.

Kagome sat silent for a while, then leaned against the wall and tried to sleep.

Hours passed as Inuyasha listened to Kagome's measured breaths; she was awake and thinking. He ached to have her in bed with him but he knew that if she was to survive here with all the demons she would have to bend to authority- whether she liked it or not.

Inuyasha fell asleep hours before Kagome.

Kagome recognized that the floor was more comfortable than the one in her room, but she still wanted to be in that damn bed... but not with him of course.

She awoke soon after by the soft light of torches penetrating her lids. She blinked and looked around; Inuyasha was gone and she had a bowl of mushy oatmeal stuff sitting next to her. She sniffed it and then scooted the bowl away from her.

A girl slipped in the room and started to clean all the weapons on the wall. Kagome watched as the girl took her time and oiled all the weapons so they wouldn't rust in the humidity of the volcano.

Kagome sighed and the girl looked at her over her shoulder. Kagome noticed the girl didn't have any demonic features.

"Are you human?" Kagome asked, half expecting to be ignored.

The girl glanced over her shoulder and then nodded as she continued cleaning the different blades.

Kagome frowned, "Are you one of the demon's slaves?"

The girl shook her head, "No, I clean so that I don't feel useless. And only for Lord Inuyasha and Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome blinked, the girl seemed about fourteen, what was she doing in a place like this? "Where is your family?"

The girl's smile dimmed, "Killed long ago by an evil demon."

Kagome snorted, "So you moved in with them and asked for a job?"

The girl gave Kagome a patient stare, "Lord Sesshomaru saved me, so I followed him here and asked to be his maid… of a sort."

Kagome blinked, "Don't you want to be with people of your own kind and not the monsters that killed your parents?"  
The girl finished cleaning the weapons and walked over, then sat down in front of Kagome, "Lord Sesshomaru didn't kill my parents, he killed the demon that did."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "All demons are the same, cold blooded killers that don't care for anyone but themselves."

The girl shook her head gently, "Does that mean that all humans are the same? Have you never met a human criminal that killed for the fun of it?"

Kagome blinked, she had met a few of those actually, "But most humans are kind and just want to live in peace."

"So are most demons" the girl laughed.

Kagome snorted, "Are you trying to tell me that all demons are just big misunderstood puppies?"

The girl shook her head, "No, I'm trying to tell you that not all demons are evil, just like not all humans are good. You should never judge an entire species just by the cruel actions of one of their bad apples, though that is why most demons hate humans."

Kagome frowned, Ayame had been kind, but Kagura had been evil enough for the both of them…and Naraku… she got angry just thinking about it.

The girl patted her gently on the shoulder, "Don't fuss over it, you will understand soon enough. Just please, give Inuyasha a chance, he deserves to know the kindness of someone who won't judge him."

Kagome blinked but didn't agree to anything, "What is your name?"

The girl smiled, "Rin."

Kagome frowned, "One more question, have you ever seen a demon cry?"

Rin smiled a sad smile, "If this is your way of asking me if demons have emotions, yes they do. They just hide them better than the rest of us."

Kagome shrugged off the answer and stuck a finger in her bowl and then licked it. She made a face and handed Rin the bowl, "Can you burn this for me?"

Rin laughed, "Do you plan to go hungry?"  
Kagome nodded, "Yes, if that's all Inuyasha plans on feeding me."

Rin laughed again, "From what he said to me…it is."

Kagome gave her an exasperated look, "How can you know all that and still think that demons are misunderstood?"

Rin shrugged, "You have killed a lot of innocent demons…in the process of killing the bad ones. I think you may have a little trouble distinguishing between the two."

Kagome snorted, "Innocent demons… Would you listen to yourself?"

Rin patted Kagome again and walked out of the room, "You will understand."

Kagome glared at the door and yelled after the girl, "If you are going to leave, take this pig slop with you!"

She grumbled to herself and toyed with the chain as she waited for anything to happen.

Inuyasha sighed as he flicked through a large list of demons that had been killed in the last few years. Kagome had been the cause of a lot of them; he had to remember that when he as aching for her to be in his bed.

He stood up and walked from his quiet little study down the halls to the kitchen area where he grabbed a snack. Rin was there, and laughing with a few of the demon girls.

"Did you speak to her?" Inuyasha asked as he moved next to her, still munching on the bread he had picked up.

Rin smiled, "I tried not to! But she was so sweet!"

Inuyasha snorted, "Sweet? That little snake in my bedroom? SWEET? Are we talking about the same female?"

Rin giggled, "Well it was just the way she thought and talked. I like her; I think we will be friends."

Inuyasha sighed, "Did you teach her anything?"

"Will we ever know?" Rin asked.

Inuyasha swallowed the rest of his bread and nodded, "I guess your right on that one."

Rin grabbed his shoulder and dragged him into an empty room, "Inuyasha, are you planning on forcing yourself on her?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "I'd never expect that question to come from you. And I would answer…but there's this problem…you see…ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS."

Rin glared at him, "I don't care. She is smart and strong; I want you to keep her safe from…everything."

Inuyasha stared at her as if she had just grown another head.

Rin waved her hand dismissively.

He caught her shoulders and made her look at him, "What have you heard?"

She sighed, "Nothing, it's just…a lot of the demons expect you to pass her around when you are done."

Inuyasha patted her head, "Don't worry about it, I would never do that."

She caught his arm and stared into his eyes, "Don't ignore this Inuyasha. You may not tell them they can have her, but if you don't say anything, they won't ask. Please, she is learning to see the personality inside the demons, don't let them ruin it."

Inuyasha patted her again and walked off. He wouldn't show the girl that he was worried about it too, but he was. He had just met Kagome but he had already taken a liking to her; he couldn't take the thought of the others passing her around. Irritated at himself, he grabbed a plate of warm food and walked back up the stairs and through the halls to his room.

He opened the large door and walked in. She was asleep; catching up, he supposed, for the lack of it last night.

He sighed and walked over to her, then squatted down in front of her. She looked peaceful. He ignored his minds warnings and pressed his lips to her slack ones.

She stirred under him but he didn't pull away. Her eyes flew open and he pressed his lips harder and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue.

She struggled under him and after one last lick, he pulled away.

Kagome glared at him, "Do you often kiss the dog?"

Inuyasha smiled, "I do if it's a cute dog."

Kagome laughed, surprising the both of them. Then she caught herself and glared at him again, "I'll appreciate it if you don't ever do that again."

He snorted, "You're a slave, priestess, what you do and don't appreciate doesn't much matter anymore."She bit her lip but didn't say anything else, so he sat the plate on the ground in front of her. "Eat up, pooch."

Kagome glared at the handsome hanyou as ate the delicious food he had given her. Why did he keep doing nice things and then ruin it by opening his rude mouth.

She watched under his lids as he bent over and shuffled through the chest at the foot of his bed, his back rippling with each movement. She would never admit to anyone that he looked good…better than good even.

Pulling out a pair of red hakama pants he glanced over his shoulder at her, and then pushed off the ones he was wearing.

Her heart jumped into her throat as he bared his muscled backside to her before pulling on the red pants. He was teasing her! What a crude creature! Still her eyes kept moving in his direction, she had seen a man or two naked before, not for intercourse mind you, but she had seen them…and none of them had looked anything like this demon.

He pulled on the change of pants and dug through his chest of clothing for a shirt, "You have a problem pet."

Kagome glared at him, "I know; its name is Inuyasha."

He chuckled and stood up with his shirt in tow, "I assure you priestess, I am nowhere near the worst of your problems. And you do have many."

She sighed and pushed the empty plate away from her, "Fine, I'll give. What is my problem?" He slipped the shirt over his head and she found herself vaguely disappointed that his sculpted stomach was now out of sight, and that irritated her even further.

Inuyasha walked over to squat in front of her, "Many demons here want you."

Kagome blushed and looked at the floor, "Too bad I'm already taken."

"Wrong priestess," he sighed.

She blinked, "Inuyasha, I was GIVEN to you, like some mangy mutt not more than a day ago."

He nodded, "Yes, and that will keep the demons away for a while. But not forever. You see, a lot of them are big on sharing."

She gaped at him, "You are going to GIVE me to them? TO be used like some sort of whore? I knew you were an despicable but this…"

He sighed; of course the human would turn this all around and blame him. "Look brat, I can claim you and tell them no over and over, but after a while of them knowing we haven't even fucked, that lie isn't going to last long. And I may be able to fight some of them off, not that you deserve it, but I can't fight ALL of them. Do you understand?"

She blinked at him, "You would fight for me? Why?" He stood up then, and she watched his cold mask fall back into place.

"Well it's not because I like you, trust me. Perhaps I just hate seeing a virgin go to such waste." He walked to the door of the room but stopped to glare at her over his shoulder, "Nonetheless. You know the problem, now you can come up with a solution." He could think of only one himself, and he damn sure wouldn't be the one to suggest it, even if the idea had some appeal to him.

Kagome sat alone, on the floor, by herself the rest of the day. She was going to go insane…there was no fighting it. Her singular visit from Rin with her dinner hadn't done anything but make the boredom worse after she had left. By the time her demon master returned to his room late that night, she was actually excited by the company…this further proved to her that she was indeed well on her way to being crazy. But sadly, she couldn't NOT make conversation.

"Have a good day pillaging and raping, my Lord?" she asked sweetly.

He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything as he tugged off his shirt and grabbed a towel.

"What? Now you are ignoring me too?" she snarled, irrationally irritated at the fact that he wouldn't respond to her. Again. CRAZY.

He sighed, "I'm tired and I don't have the energy to play word games with you. Go to sleep or something."

She started to reply only to frown and stop as he walked out the door again. That shouldn't have felt so…disappointing.

After his long soak in the steamy waters below the mountain Inuyasha headed back up to his room, to face her. More than one demon had asked him about her today…it worried him more than it should have. The bitch deserved what was coming to her…

His mind rebelled the thought and he frowned as he climbed the stairs and moved down the hallways. He REALLY shouldn't care what happened to her. She was a priestess, an enemy, and a female…all of which were things that he knew would cause him pain in the future. He should definitely give her to the others…

"So what DID you do today then?" her voice called out to him as soon as he stepped back inside the room.

"Combat drills, a little riding, and lots of arguing…" he sighed, pleased she had actually asked.

"Combat drills? Are the demons planning on going to war?" her voice was a little higher now, and he knew she was becoming worried for her own betraying race's safety.

"Some always are… but no, neither I nor my brother plan on giving the word anytime soon. It's more of a daily practice thing. Do priestesses not practice their skills, honing them for when they DO need them?" he flopped on his bed, wanting her to continue the conversation from beside him…but there was no way he was going to break first.

Kagome blinked, "Of course we do, I just didn't know…"

He chuckled, "That demons can have brains? Or skills?" He could practically feel the glare she was shooting at him from the floor.

"Both, actually, and I'm still not completely convinced about the former" she said, adding a tone of uncaring sophistication to the words.

He smiled; she was smart, too smart. "Neither am I priestess, neither am I."

As the silence of night slowly enveloped them, Kagome sighed and curled up against the wall. Nothing was being said, but at least she didn't have the same aching loneliness that was starting to plague her whenever he was gone.

She woke the next day to a sharp pain in her neck. Growling, she sat and rolled her head in circles, but the crick just wouldn't seem to loosen. After more mumbling and neck rubbing, she realized she wasn't as cold as she had been yesterday morning upon waking up. She picked up the edge of the soft wool blanket that had been draped over her and frowned.

"Morning Miss Kagome," Rin said sweetly as she sat a plate full of ham and eggs in front of her.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the confused child, "Morning Rin, thank you for the blanket, and the food."

Rin looked at her blankly for a minute and then a light seemed to turn on in her head and twinkle climbed into her eyes, "I didn't bring the blanket…"

Kagome looked at the thing and tried not to have any soft feelings towards its owner, "He must be trying to trap me into something…"

The girl giggled like she had just been told the funniest joke in the world, "You are so funny Kagome!"

Kagome grumbled and ate her food, only to sputter as the girl headed for the door, "Do you have to go? Now?"

Rin nodded, "I need to help in the kitchen, but I'll be back with your lunch later. Do you need anything else?"

"A hot bath and a foot massage?" Kagome inquired innocently.

"I'll see what I can do," the girl smiled and shut the door.

"Why are you always following me?" Inuyasha said as he headed out of the mountains mate gate and towards the stables.

"What time will you return tonight?" Rin asked him with a smile.

He walked over to where his huge black steed was tied and shrugged, "I don't know, it's not like I have anywhere to be."

"Kagome needs a bath," the girl murmured as she petted his horse, making sure not to meet his gaze.

"Oh does she?" he smirked, "Then perhaps you should take her a bowl of water and rag. No, perhaps two bowels of water, you know how messy pets can be."

Rin gave his arm a soft smack, "A bath is not too much to ask, take her."

Inuyasha's mind sort of blurred out everything but 'take her' and he had to actually force himself not to groan at the thought to watching the pale little priestess bathe.

"I highly doubt she will what me to be present, just meet me at my room about midnight" he cowed to the little girl and climbed up onto the horse.

"Thank you Inuyasha" she smiled at him so brightly that he had to look away. It always bothered him when he was confronted by that much emotion…well, other than anger of course.

He nodded at her and nudged his heels into his mount, making the huge animal neigh and walk quickly out of the stables before tearing off into the countryside.

Kagome was sooooo bored. She had actually made up a song about her wicked slave master who beat her daily and held no compassion or remorse for anything.

"What was that you were saying about Inuyasha?" Rin giggled as she walked into the room with another tray of food."

"Oh nothing, just humming about his history of selling his mother for pound of rice…oh, and the fact that the only creature that enjoys his company is his horse…oh and that he quite enjoys beating the innocent and just generally ruining everyone's lives" Kagome said with a smile.

Rin tut-tutted her, "Do you honestly believe those things?"

No, her mind gave her the answer before she had even really considered the question. "Oh, I think they are quite realistic things to ponder."

The girl rolled her eyes, "Very well. Just refrain from saying anything to him like that, especially the part about his mother." She picked up the dish from earlier and moved to the door.

"Why? Would he actually do it?" Kagome asked laughingly.

Rin gave her a serious look over her shoulder, "His mother is the only thing he has ever loved…I think he might actually give you to the others if you hurt him like that. Just…don't."

Kagome swallowed, feeling both embarrassed and irritated, "I don't see Inuyasha crying over her, or anyone else."

Rin actually frowned, "Well I have, _priestess_." She shut the door firmly behind her and Kagome felt like dying.

She had just pissed off the nicest and most innocent person within and 200 mile radius. Her people skills were seriously deteriorating under all this stress and aggravation, she would have to apologize to the girl later. She almost felt like apologizing to him too: almost.

Kagome was playing with a sword and practicing her technique when Inuyasha came through the door.

He paused for a moment, heart and dick at full attention as he saw the beautiful woman posed in fighting stance in her skimpy little birthday dress.

Kagome actually blushed and almost tripped in her haste to put the sword back on its hooks in the wall, "Sorry…"

He REALLY liked that. "Come here."

Her eyes regarded him doubtfully as she scooted closer but not necessarily within reach, "Why?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Come find out, oh brave priestess."

He was baiting her! Kagome growled and stomped the rest of the way over to him until she was less than a foot from him, "WHAT!"

His hand grabbed the chain around her neck and she hissed, only to gasp as the door to the room opened and she was suddenly on her knees.

"Inuyasha the men are tired of wai-" Sesshomaru stopped midsentence as he saw his brother glaring at him while the priestess kneeled before him, her face at the perfect level…

"Do you need something?" Inuyasha asked with a growl as he tugged the chain a bit and Kagome fell against him, making her suck in a sharp breathe as her cheek met his groin and her hands found themselves bracing her by griping his firm thighs.

Sesshomaru laughed, "Nothing that can't be dealt with later, go enjoy my gift." He smirked at the priestess before retreating and shutting the door.

Kagome's throat was dry as she stared up at the man standing in front of her.

"Like being on your knees, Kagome?" His mouth held a mocking smirk, but his eyes conveyed something a lot different, something dark and primal…and oh so enticing.

She couldn't gather her wits enough to retort intelligently, "You're an ass."

His laughter was genuine, and she was shocked at how much in transformed his normally somber and mocking face into a thing of masculine beauty.

"Is this why you asked me to come over here?" she growled, not exactly sure why she wasn't getting up yet…or letting go of his thighs.

He looked confused for a second, like he had no idea what she was talking about, and then he shook his head. She jerked as his hands latched onto her shoulders and he pulled her up on her feet.

Why the hell couldn't she break free from his stupid gaze? A shiver rocked through her body as his fingers brushed her neck. She started to say something only to stop when she felt the weight of the collar being lifted off her neck.

"I'm human again?" she murmured, still trapped by his golden gaze.

"For now," he smirked, and gently caught her hand and led her to the door, breaking the spell that his eyes had cast on her.

"What…where?" she couldn't help but resist as he pulled her towards the door. He wouldn't…he could never… she was so stupid! He was going to give her to someone else!

He was leaning out of the door and into the hallway, and felt stupid tears stinging her eyes.

"If we run into anyone, don't look at them. Keep your eyes down, your hands on me. If they get close, get clingy fast. This may take a little acting on your part, can you pretend not to loathe me for a few minutes?" he asked as he turned around to face her with a smile.

Kagome swallowed. He wasn't throwing her away...a tear slid out before she could stop it, and it made her heart hurt when she saw the concern immediately come into his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, moving back to her and shutting the door, "Are you worried? I'm not going to let anyone drag you off in the hall…I'll stand by the door the whole time you and Rin bathe so that no one will come in or see you…"

A bath. He was taking her the heated pools she had been dreaming about all day. She sobbed softly, "I'm fine." More tears. What was wrong with her?

He looked nervous, and worried, but he still wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest, "It's going to be fine. Do you…do you want to wait to go out…for another night?"

She was being stupid, getting all emotional over an betrayal that hadn't happened and gift so simple that one would usually expect it as a common courtesy. She slowly moved from his arms, wiping her face, "Sorry…I just couldn't hold back the tears when you said I'd have to pretend to like you…such a disgusting idea."

They both knew she was full of shit, her weak smile fooled no one, but her eyes pleaded with him to drop it…and she watched him do just that.

"Yeah, I felt the same way when I said you had to be clingy. Actually gave me goose bumps of horror and everything" he said, moving back to the door with smile.

Kagome didn't have to fake her smile anymore, she walked out the door behind him, making sure to follow close.


	4. Chapter 4

Fasten your seatbelts kiddies, the first sprinklings of citrusy goodness are here! Hope ya likes it! =)

They were both silent as they walked through the winding black hallways of the volcanic mountain that so many demons called home. Kagome's mind was moving faster than she could keep up with, going over and over what had just happened in the room… because _something_ had definitely happened. She had almost...ok she had had a panic attack, and he had actually looked…concerned? She had the terrible feeling that usually came right before fate laughed and smacked you in the face, the same feeling she had had the day Kikyou had traded her for a temporary peace between their races.

Inuyasha opened a door to their right and looked around for a moment inside it before nodding at her to follow him. Oh, yes, great. She had forgotten that it was up to her to come up with some sort of a game plan to keep the demons off their backs…but especially off hers. She sighed and then jumped when Inuyasha finally spoke.

"Rin, are you in here?" he asked softly.

Rin stepped out of the shadows she had been hiding in, she was good at disappearing. "Yes. I went by your room, but Lord Sesshomaru was there. So I thought it best to come here and wait…and hope you guys came later."

Inuyasha nodded, "I figured. You two try not to make too much noise."

Kagome watched as he walked back out the door they had just come in, "Where is he going?"

Rin smiled softly and started taking off her dress, "To guard the door of course. He knew you wouldn't be comfortable washing in front of him, so he asked me to come join you while he stepped out."

The priestess frowned, "Do you think he actually cares if I'm comfortable?" She watched the lean girl climb into the water and sigh, and then realized she was still fully dressed. She started kicking off the dress as fast as she could go, unsure of just how long Inuyasha would let her stay.

Rin shrugged, "I think a lot of things."

Kagome sighed. It should be against the law for people so young to sound so mysterious and act so philosophical. "Like…?"

"Like, yes, he cares; a lot more than he wants anyone to know and a lot more than he is comfortable with. Like; you care too, but you don't like it. Like, you guys will probably argue about silly things the rest of your lives. Like, you will be comfortable with a lot more than bathing in front of him someday. Like, he needs you. Like, you two would make beautiful babies," the girl said calmly, all without opening her eyes to look at the surprised Kagome.

"I'm sorry I asked," she mumbled to herself, feeling both uncomfortable and giddy with Rin's little prophecy. "Uh…by the way, I wanted to apologize…for the way I acted earlier. I think I was just so bored that I was willing to pick a fight to make you stay and talk to me."

Rin nodded and sat up, "Why don't you ask Inuyasha to take you out tomorrow? To go riding, or just walking somewhere that isn't crawling with demons."

Kagome watched the girl pick up some soap and lather up her hair. She was adorable, but she had a lot to learn about life. Inuyasha would never willing take her out of his room, to make her happy and spend time with her, and frankly she shouldn't want him to either. "Yeah."

Rin handed her the soap and she took it, slowly sinking into the soothing water until it was up to her neck and then scrubbing the soap into her hair. She encountered a few beads and groaned unhappily before starting the tedious process of untangling them all from her hair.

It was a few moments of silence later that Kagome realized Rin was staring at her, "What?" she gasped, looking over her shoulder for the huge boar demon that she feared would be standing there. She turned back to the girl with a frown, "Why are you making that face, it's so serious."

"I've come up with an idea for your problem, well, it's kind of temporary, but it will last a lot longer than what you and he have been doing so far," the girl said, not blinking or looking away.

This was going to be something wonderful, Kagome could tell already. She took a deep breath and sighed, "Ok, what is it?"

"Well…the demons…they want Inuyasha to share you. Though he knows you are human being, most of the others see you as little more than a slave, because of all the wrong they think you have done. And the longer you go around, carrying no scent of Inuyasha or…intimacy… the more angry they will get about waiting." Rin concluded.

Kagome narrowed her eyes on the child, "Did you really just suggest I give up my virginity and my priesthood to a demon for a temporary fix to a bigger problem?"

Rin blinked, "No. I didn't."

Kagome frowned, "You are really confusing; you know that?"

"You can always…you know…do _other_ things, and not the actual…act." Rin actually blushed now, "I've stumbled across others doing it. You know, using their mouths or their hands…"

"RIN! GOOD LORD PLEASE STOP!" Kagome's voice came out a bit higher than she'd intended.

Rin looked up at her, blushing but unashamed of her idea, "Just think about it. The scent would carry the same meaning, but you would remain ultimately untouched. At least until that stopped working. It could buy you at least a few weeks though."

Kagome gaped at the girl but the door opening made them both stop talking and turn towards it, Kagome hunkered lower in the water as her eyes landed on Inuyasha.

He quickly shut the door behind him and tugged his shirt over his head.

She started to ask him what he was doing, but he spoke before she could.

"We have a problem. That fucking idiot wolf demon is coming, and there's no way I'm going to be able to explain why the hell I'm sitting out in the hall like a child being punished while my slave relaxes in here," he grumbled and grabbed the hem of his pants.

Kagome watched with wide eyes, her heart in her throat, was he getting naked? Why was she suddenly terrified…and warm all over?

His eyes rested on hers for a moment before he snarled and climbed into the pool with his pants on, "You owe me, priestess." Again she opened her mouth to speak, but all words seemed to fail her as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap. He quickly sat down on the ledge she had been perched on moments before.

Kagome gasped just as the door opened and Kouga stepped in.

"Inuyasha! I thought I smelled your scent stinking up the hallway, what are you doing in here?" The demon chuckled, his eyes not-so-subtlety roaming over Kagome and her bare shoulders.

Inuyasha grumbled, "Oh, I think it's pretty obvious what I WAS doing, now can you do me a favor and get the fuck out so I can go back to doing it?"

Kagome took a deep breath and pulled a calm mask over her face. Letting this demon see her fear would just make everything worse.

Kouga laughed, "You're no fun mutt, but I'll make you a deal. You loan me your friend there, for the night and I'll leave you alone for the next week, ok?"

Inuyasha noted the flash of anger in the priestess's eyes and dug his fingers into her hips before jerking her closer against him. Her eyes got huge and she jerked, shock replacing the anger on her features. His eyes conveyed a warning as he kept talking to Kouga, "I don't do loans. But even if I did, I wouldn't share her with your ass. She would come back to me with fleas and the mange, and it would be such a shame to mar the beauty she is now. Luckily for me, she already has plans for the rest of the week…and she'll be too _exhausted_ afterwards to attend to you."

Kagome didn't look back to Kouga; she was too busy studying Inuyasha's features as he mouthed off to the wolf. His golden eyes were locked on the wolf and she found herself taking advantage of the time she was given to study him up close without him looking back. She noted each of his unique features, hoping they would somehow add up and solve the puzzle that the man in front of her presented.

"Fleas? You have got to be kidding me. Dogs have fleas more often than wolves. And just what exactly is it she's going to be doing? Because we all fucking know you haven't been having sex." Kouga smirked.

Inuyasha didn't have to fake his snarl. He turned his eyes back to Kagome, "Tell the demon what you will be doing tonight, priestess."

Kagome stared at him wide eyed, but before she could even try to answer he ground his pelvis up between her spread legs and pulled roughly on her hair, making her gasp and arch into him while her head fell back and exposed her throat.

"Go on," he whispered, "tell the little puppy what happens in a grown-up's bedroom at night." His lips skimmed down her neck so that he could scrape his teeth across the top of her shoulder, and his hand abandoned its grip on her hair in favor of clutching both of her hips and pressing her down on his lap with bruising force.

Kagome couldn't gather enough of her wits to utter a single word; she was too shocked, too angry, and too compliant. These things shouldn't feel this good. He shouldn't feel this good.

Inuyasha, who had done a great job of keeping his libido under control thus far, felt his last strand of restraint snap as her head lolled to the side and her eyes clamped shut in pleasure. There was no fucking way he was going to be able to pretend that he wasn't enjoying this if she was going to act so fucking willing and ready. He could feel himself hardening just thinking about it.

Kouga snorted and walked towards the door, "Whatever, you can only keep her so long…and when she is no longer yours, I'm going to show her just what it feels like to ride a real man."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to give the wolf a scathing remark in return but Kagome's nails dug into his shoulders and she turned to look over her shoulder at the other demon.

"I already know and if kisses are anything to go by, I'd say he's got you beat any day," she said calmly, giving the self absorbed demon a mocking smile. "Thank God I got lucky and was given to Inuyasha. Otherwise I would have already had to kill myself from sheer disgust and boredom."

If he hadn't already been turned on, he damn sure would have been now. God, the priestess had a mouth on her, and he had just witnessed firsthand that she could skin a man alive with it. He'd never heard anything sexier in his life.

Kouga snarled at them and slammed the door behind him.

Kagome turned back to face the demon she was straddling. She could feel his hard length pressed against her, and she found herself both glad and regretful that he had chosen to keep his pants on. Even so, they were only separated by that thin saturated piece of material, and she couldn't help but shiver at the thought of how easy it would be to get it out of the way.

Her eyes searched his golden ones for some sort of answer to what was going on but only found herself thinking up more questions when she saw the hunger there. They couldn't get along worth a damn but they definitely wanted each other.

"Well that went well," Rin said, her voice seeming unusually loud compared to the silence that had enveloped them.

They both jerked and Inuyasha gently lifted Kagome off his lap, "It could have gone better but it also could have gone worse. I guess we did ok."

Kagome took a deep breath as he moved to the other end of the pool, strangely enough the steaming water seemed a lot cooler when he wasn't touching her, and the area where his hips had been nestled between her thighs now felt achingly empty. She watched, embarrassed but too curious to look away, as he climbed out of the water.

He kept his back to them as he twisted his hair to wring it free of water. Kagome noted how low the soaking wet pants were hanging on his hips, clinging against him as the fought against gravity's pull, and felt he cheeks redden. He turned and grabbed one of the towels Rin had brought for them before sighing and wiping his face.

Every glimpse of his skin was shimmering with water, and she felt her eyes roaming appreciatively over the tanned work of art in front of her, even his scars were beautiful as they moved and stretched over the coiled muscle that covered his frame.

Inuyasha sighed, goddamn his luck. Now he was turned on to the point of pain, and completely unable to do anything about it. He paused in the middle of wiping his arms free of moisture as he caught Kagome's eyes still on him.

"Rin?" Kagome jerked at the sound of his voice.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" she replied sweetly to him.

"Turn around."

"Yes, Inuyasha."

Kagome blinked in confusion, only to gape as his gaze locked with hers and he dropped his pants. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the naked man before her. He was facing her; bare as the day he was born and completely unashamed of it. She fought to keep her eyes on his face, but they kept being pulled down to the hard and straining appendage that had been pressed against her naked skin only moments before. It was….huge… She blushed and jerked her gaze up to his face, only to turn an even deeper red when she met his eyes and he raised an eyebrow.

"Welcome to the world of men, priestess" he murmured and gave her his back as he turned to dry off his body.

Kagome jerked and turned around before firmly fixing her gaze on the bubbling water in front of her. She listened to the sounds of him drying off, wringing out his pants, and then him getting dressed; and still she didn't turn around.

"I suggest you two wrap it up, the longer we stay the more likely my chances are of getting into a fistfight with some asshole," he suggested and left, shutting the door behind him.

Kagome was quiet as she rinsed her hair free from the last of the soap and did a quick rub down of her body. She glanced at Rin, who was almost dressed, and felt her own cheeks turning red. The _child_ had suggested that she allow Inuyasha to touch her…to be intimate with her without _being intimate_. Kagome knew there were different ways of performing the act, but she had never actually discussed with anyone the 'playing' they could do without the sex. Nor had she 'stumbled across' anyone in said acts. Suddenly her mind kept circling those thoughts, attempting to picture what the girl had been talking about, and tripping up on the image of him naked every two seconds. She felt herself becoming more and more flustered as she jerked on her clothes, she would not do those things…she couldn't…she would lose herself entirely.

They stepped out into the hall and Kagome saw Inuyasha's gaze scan up her whole body before landing on her face. She couldn't help but to look away.

"Let's go," he said softly and started walking, knowing they would follow.

They had only made it down a few corridors before they heard footsteps and Inuyasha motioned for her to get closer and behind him.

"Lord Inuyasha," the voice was slurred, and Kagome realized why when she saw the creature's upper and lower tusks protruding from its large flat snout as it stood up from its bow. _Why _had she cursed herself with the terrifying thought of a pig demon earlier? Of course it would be the beast they would run into!

Inuyasha nodded at the demon, "Tomaku."

"How is the little priestess treating you, hanyou?" the eight foot plus tall creature asked with its grotesque version of a smile.

Inuyasha shrugged, "She is more of a pain then she is worth, really." He sneered over his shoulder at her.

The pig chuckled, "I see that she is still unmated."

Inuyasha nodded, "Yes. Though I could have just taken what I wanted, I much prefer to make them beg. It's always sweeter when they are crawling on their knees; where they belong." Kagome bit her lip, keeping her eyes on the floor now; Inuyasha was good at this word game.

The demon chuckled and leaned to the side so he could look Kagome up and down while lewdly licking his lips. Kagome pretended not to notice the little trail of saliva dripping from the left side of his…snout. "It's always better when they crawl." The demon chuckled again, "You should take her soon, so that the rest of us can have a turn."

Inuyasha didn't flinch at the statement, though Kagome did; she was glad she was standing almost completely behind him. Still, she saw his shoulders tense and his hands curl into fists at his side…and for some reason the idea of him fighting off this pig for her made her warm inside. "I'll take the priestess whenever I choose, Tomaku, whether I choose to do it tonight or a week from now. You and the others can wait your turn."

Tomaku opened his mouth but Inuyasha has already grabbed her hand and started dragging her past the demon, effectively dismissing the beast while keeping his own body between her and the demon. Rin ducked her head and followed unhurriedly.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder over and over until the demon was long gone from her sight.

"Tha-" Kagome started to thank Inuyasha for not allowing the disgusting creature to touch her, but he sent her a glare and jerked his head. She lowered her head and walked silently the rest of the way.

As he shut the door behind them Kagome sighed with relief. Actually getting to and from the bath had almost been more stressful then it was worth.

Inuyasha sighed, and walked over to sit on the bed, "Great evening, huh?"

Kagome shrugged, "I've had better." Her head and her heart both ached from being put through the emotional wringer tonight. "Do I go back to the collar?"

He shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head, "Do what you want, but if you want the bed, you should know that I come with it."

She swallowed, "Can I just have a pillow then?"

He tossed her a pillow and rolled onto the bed, he too was having trouble deciding what should feel. A little distance from the priestess would do him a world of good, too bad a little distance might end up causing her to get raped.

Kagome took the pillow and curled up on the floor, her heart pounding

Kagome sighed wistfully into her pillow as she slowly came awake. After sleeping on the floor for so long with nothing but a dingy blanket, Inuyasha's plush feather pillow was like ecstasy…the bed itself would probably put her in a coma from pleasure.

She stretched and glanced up the empty place on the bed where Inuyasha had fallen asleep last night. Of course he was gone. She chewed her lip and stood up. She was still tired…and since the stupid collar was gone she could now reach that heavenly bed. Her knees sank into the soft mattress and she felt a smile tug at her lips as she sank the rest of the way down and snuggled a pillow. Inuyasha hadn't said anything about the bed during the day; he would have no right to frown at her.

Her heart picked up speed as she remembered all that had transpired the day before. She was walking the edge of cliff with the demon, letting herself become too comfortable with him, letting herself think of him as not just a demon…but as a man. His scent lingered on the pillow that she had her face buried in and she couldn't stop herself from taking a few deep breaths. She was an idiot, that was for sure, but as long as she kept these strange reactions to herself when he was around then no one could call her a _completely_ brainless female.

A knock on the door made her jerk up in fear.

"Kagome?" Rin called as she opened the door, "it's me; I brought your breakfast."

Kagome groaned and flopped down on the bed, "I thought you were some evil demon here to drag me away by my ankles kicking and screaming."

Rin snorted, "So close. Better luck next time."

Kagome smile at her friend and took the plate, "Are you going to stay for a bit?"

Rin sighed, "I guess I can, Lord Sesshomaru left this morning to go to one of the smaller demon communities and will be gone for day or two. I miss him already."

Kagome raised her eyebrow, Rin's relationship with the other demon prince was unhealthy. If she ever escaped this hell hole she would take the girl with her. Surely Rin would change her mind when she had been around people again for a while and realized what she had been missing.

"You aren't talking very much for someone who is bored out of her mind," Rin offered while leaning over to grab a piece of ham off of Kagome's plate.

Kagome stuck her tongue out and pulled the plate closer, "I was just thinking about home. You would love the village that I live in when I'm not out traveling to others, my real home."

Rin gave her a faint smile, "If Lord Sesshomaru wasn't there then I don't think I would love it but I'm sure it's beautiful. The one thing I do miss about the human land was the cherry blossom trees…nothing really grows out here."

"I noticed that, where do they get the vegetables for their food?" Kagome mumbled while she shoveled down the contents of her plate.

Rin smiled, "Different places. Some trade for it, some demons that can pass for human actually live in the human land and farm it, and some just steal it."

Kagome blinked, she had just assumed it was all stolen. Some demons actually lived and farmed near humans? How in the world had no one noticed?

Rin stole another piece of ham and made Kagome jerk out of her thoughts, "Hey!"

Rin grinned, "Stop staring into space or I am going to go back to the kitchens."

Kagome nodded, "Do you think there are any jobs that I can do around here?"

"No," Rin said softly. "Were you not you, and only a human girl, you could work in the kitchens or cleaning. But Kagome the High Priestess would attract only negative attention. You wouldn't be able to work because you spend the whole time fighting off demons."

"This is really becoming annoying. I can't sit in here and do nothing much longer. I'm going to go insane," Kagome pouted.

Rin laughed, "I will bring you a few of my favorite books."

Kagome nodded, she doubted Rin's choices would be anything that she would have chosen for herself, but anything was better than nothing.

"I must go, I'll see you later Kagome. Tell Inuyasha I said hi," Rin waved and slipped out the door.

Kagome huffed and finished the rest of the food on her plate before standing up and walking over to Inuyasha's wall of weapons. She could use some practice, so that when she did escape she wouldn't be completely out of shape.

She lifted an old sword gently off the wall. It was much heavier than she was used to, perfect for building up some stamina. She tied her hair back in a knot and fell into a defensive stance with her knees bent and the sword held parallel to the ground in front of her.

It was like music. Her movements were smooth and practiced, and when she put all the small twists and turns together it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to see it as dance. Kikyou had always exceeded her with a bow, though Kagome was still pretty amazing, but Kagome had always won when they had practiced with blades.

Minutes, hours, some undefined time later, she was covered in a sheen of sweat and breathing heavily. A smile of satisfaction crept across her lips; she was more than a match for most of the demons here. If only there were more of her or less of them. She longed to practice with a bow but decided she should be glad she had even gotten to play with a sword.

After taking a break and drinking the water Rin had brought with her breakfast, Kagome grudgingly got up and started going through her stances again. She was tired but not enough for sleep, so the sword was pretty much her only option. If she wasn't careful, she would leave this place in better shape than she was when she had gotten here. Either way, Kikyou would pay.

By the time Inuyasha returned, she was completely sick of being alone in her own company. Thoughts of Kikyou had been festering in her mind since breakfast and they had left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Have an eventful day, my Lord?" she asked softly from where she was sitting on the bed, drinking from the large water jug Rin had brought her upon request at lunch.

Inuyasha grunted, "More so than preferred. Here, Rin asked me to give these to you." He held out two thick books and Kagome took them gingerly.

She blinked in surprise. Rin had actually given her a book of poems and proverbs by her favorite monk; Kagome had the same copy at home in her bedroom. The other book was written by someone she had never heard of, and upon glancing inside, discovered it was about demons by a demon. She grimaced at it and sat them both to the side so that she could look up at Inuyasha who had moved over to dig through his chest of clothes.

"What happened? And what are you doing now?" she asked and scooted closer to the end of the bed so she could peek over at what he was digging through.

He pulled out a pair of green hakama pants similar to the dirty red ones he now wore. "Nothing of interest to you, and I'm going to bathe and wash off all this damn dirt."

Kagome blinked, he was pissed off about something…but what?

"I'll be back a in a bit with your dinner," he murmured and walked out the door with his pants over his shoulder.

Inuyasha groaned as he tugged off his clothes and climbed into the hot pool. His body ached everywhere from the beating he had taken today; stupid Naraku. He had stirred up a few of the other demons today with talk of Kagome and Inuyasha's lack of manhood. Inuyasha had had no choice but to put a stop to their uproar. He had only intended on beating the leader into a pulp, but when the other two had jumped in things had gotten serious. Granted, he had gotten bruised and achy, but the others had fared much worse. One of them had actually died, another had been thrown into a wall and knocked unconscious, and the last had gotten an arm pulled out of socket and a couple of broken ribs.

He had won this round, but things were getting worse. Something would have to be done before he ended up being beaten until he couldn't move and Kagome got raped.

Inuyasha rinsed his hair and then gently cleaned the area around the slice across his ribs on his side. It wasn't terribly deep, but it was long and a just in the right place to stretch painfully whenever he moved. He grumbled about the idiots he was surrounded by and toweled off before getting dressed. Next stop, the kitchen, and then back to his room where he would have to suffer another agonizing night in the virginal priestess's presence.

Inuyasha walked into the room and Kagome stood up without thinking. He raised an eyebrow at her and she sat back down quickly.

"Have a nice bath?" she asked, and then blushed.

"Yeah, it's much more relaxing without you and Rin there," he said and sat the food down next to her. Kagome's eyes widened as she caught sight of the lighting dusting of bruises across his bare torso.

"What DID happen today?" she asked, too busy looking over his body to start eating.

He shrugged and sent her a smirk, "Just your average sparring match."

She wasn't sure she believed him. There was no way she could know for sure but she sensed with her entire being that something was wrong with him.

Inuyasha was suddenly uncomfortable under her gaze and walked over to his chest to pull out a white shirt. He sat down on the bed next to her and crossed his legs before snatching his plate off of the tray.

Kagome chewed her lip and started to eat also. Somehow they had managed to find a new level of awkwardness and they ate the rest of their dinner in silence. They had just finished when a knock on the door made them both jerk.

"Get under the blankets," Inuyasha said under his breath and tugged his shirt back off before going to answer the door.

He opened the door, fully prepared to bitch out whoever had dared to push him again today, only to find Ayame.

"Uh…what do you want?" he asked. He didn't talk to her often, but he knew her.

"Rin spoke to me today, she said that Kagome- I mean the slave- required some parchment and ink," she said, eyes lowered to the ground.

Inuyasha was suddenly aware of the painting supplies in her arms. Kagome painted? He stepped to the side, "Just put it over there on the table against the wall."

She did so and sent Kagome a small smile before bowing to Inuyasha and headed back to the door.

Kagome sat up the bed, "Thank you…"

Ayame nodded to her and slipped from the room.

Inuyasha sighed and locked the door behind her, "Bored?"

"All damn day," she smiled, "but I never asked for the paint. I just asked Rin to stay and talk to me, but she had to leave."

He nodded, "She's too busy making everyone else happy to know when to do something for herself. I should have stopped by her room before coming back with dinner."

"Why?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha sat on the bed and she nervously stood up.

"Because my pitiful excuse for a brother left earlier and she will be lost without him," Inuyasha said. "Do you think I am going to pounce on your or something?"

"No," Kagome snorted.

Inuyasha moved as if to lunge forward and she jerked back a few steps. He gave her back the snort. "Go find something to do priestess, I'm tired and ready to sleep."

She blushed, completely embarrassed by how painfully obvious it was that she was scared of him. He handed her a candle and she took it quietly, perhaps she would paint for bit before going to sleep.

P.S. I'd love you forever if you would send me some reviews! =P


	5. Chapter 5

Lol, look I haven't died yet and I'm still updating stuff! Keep those reviews coming, they make me actually want to be productive. =P

I love and miss you all!

*warning* this chapter does get a little NC-17 towards the end, so if you don't like violent mature scenes of a sexual nature it'd probably be best to skim that part.

Kagome jerked awake in the middle of the night with the sound of Inuyasha's room door opening. Inuyasha was instantly up and tense but they both relaxed when they saw it was only Rin holding a little candle.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" he asked quickly and met her in the middle of the room as she walked toward him.

Kagome suddenly saw a wet sheen on the girl's cheeks; she had been crying.

"I had a bad dream," she mumbled and leaned against Inuyasha.

Kagome watched Inuyasha's face as he hesitantly placed her candle on the small table near his bed and then wrapped his arms around the child; it had never been clearer to her that the demon wasn't used to being touched or getting and giving affection.

"What do I do?" he mumbled.

Rin hugged him harder and let out a sob, "C..can I ss..ss…sleep in here…w…with you?"

Again Inuyasha shifted his weight nervously. Kagome was about to suggest that she and the child go share the girl's bed when Inuyasha's jaw clenched as his mind had settled on a decision.

"Yeah…come on," he turned and guided her to the bed. "Scoot over."

Kagome heard the sheets rustle for a moment before Inuyasha took a deep breath and slid under the blankets. He blew out the candle and Kagome listened to the rasp of fabric as the pair shifted around.

"It'll be ok, he'll be back in a few days," Inuyasha whispered softly and Kagome could easily picture him petting the girl's head. "He is safe…you're safe…everything is going to be fine."

Rin mumbled a reply and then the pair fell into silence. All Kagome could hear was the muffled and tired sobs of the girl.

An ache started up in her chest and a dull pounding started up in her head. This was all too confusing. Demon males didn't sleep with little human girls unless it was to take advantage of them, and they damn sure didn't hug them and comfort them when the child had a bad dream. Inuyasha was holding that girl like she meant something to him; like an older brother would his sister…it was against everything Kagome had ever believed about demons.

She resituated on the floor and winced when muscles still sore from her sword practice started to ache anew. The floor was not a happy place for tired muscles.

Kagome was awoken this time by the pain in her own neck. She winced and tried to straighten it, only to move it back when that had made the pain worse. Rubbing at the back of her neck, Kagome slowly sat up and glanced around the room. Everything was peaceful.

She quietly got to her feet so that she could see if anyone was still in bed. The sight of Inuyasha sleeping on his back with one arm wrapped around the girl curled against his side made Kagome's heart clench. For some reason she had expected to wake up and find a complete disaster in the form of a crying and beaten child; she instantly felt bad for ever thinking Inuyasha would hurt the girl.

Golden eyes flicked open and met hers, making Kagome suck in a soft breath.

"Come here," he said softly.

She didn't hesitate.

Once she was near the bed he started to slide away from Rin. The girl murmured and tried to curl tighter around her warm, and now absent, demon. Inuyasha stood and lifted the sheets.

Kagome blinked when he motioned with his head for her to climb under the sheets and into the child's open arms. "You want me to…?"

He nodded, "She needs someone and I have to go."

Kagome chewed her lip and slowly slid into the warm spot on the bed that Inuyasha had been sleeping in only minutes earlier.

"I'll be back with lunch later, chances are she didn't sleep well until she came here so she will be passed out for a while," he whispered as he moved to his chest and dug through it until he found a white shirt to go with his green hakama pants. He pulled the thing over his head and instantly the sight of his perfectly toned, and yet still bruised, body disappeared.

"Have a good day," Kagome said almost too softly to hear.

His adorable pointed ears didn't miss a thing. He looked unsure of how to take her comment and even less so of how to reply. "You too…"

Rin tossed a bit and threw an arm over Kagome's stomach.

He hadn't seen anything more perfect in a long time. Kagome, hair all mussed from sleep, cuddled against a child in his bed. It made him ache for things he had never realized he had wanted. He turned and left the room before he could say anything to embarrass himself or her.

After a few more hours of sleep, Kagome got up and started to practice her sword stances. Rin was sleeping fitfully and occasionally giving a snore that would do an old man proud. Kagome would just smile and continue silently with her workout.

It was during the middle of one of her more complicated maneuvers that Inuyasha walked back in the room.

He blinked as the priestess moved fluidly with a blade almost as big as she was. It was beautiful and he was a man that didn't use the word beautiful often.

She gave a little squeak and almost dropped the sword when her movements made her turn to face the door and she found the hanyou standing there watching her.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I was just practicing…I won't do it again."

He raised an eyebrow, "Since when are bossy opinionated priestesses so contrite?"

She glared and started to give him a scathing reply but his smile stopped her. He was…teasing her? A smile matching his appeared on her lips, "Since when do big dumb demons know the meaning of a big word like 'contrite'?"

He rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him, while balancing the tray of food in front of him, "I'm not big or dumb."

She shrugged, "I'm not bossy or opinionated."

Their eyes met and he barely managed to hold back his laughter at her words.

"What! I'm not!" she growled as she moved to put his sword back on the wall.

"Sure you aren't," he even managed to say it with a straight face. She had to give him credit for that.

Inuyasha walked over and gently nudged Rin awake.

The girl rubbed her face and rolled over, giving him her back.

Kagome snickered.

"Rin," he said softly, and softly shook her shoulder.

The girl grumbled and dug herself further down into the bed.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle, "You don't do this often do you?"

He sighed, "I suppose you know a better way to wake her up?"

She nodded and walked over to the bed. After nudging him until he was standing up, she grabbed the sheets at the foot of the bed and jerked them off the child in one swift move.

Rin sucked in air and rolled herself into a ball before groaning and sitting up, "Why did you do that, it's cold now."

The two adults couldn't help but smile at the girl's pout.

"Eat your food with Kagome and then take the tray back to the kitchen," he said and leaned over to ruffle the girl's already messy hair.

Rin nodded and started to munch on the food. Inuyasha gave Kagome a nod and then left again.

"Did you sleep better after you came in here?" Kagome asked, trying to find some sort of way to understand all that she had seen.

Rin nodded, "I always sleep with Sesshomaru, well when he isn't with other girls, and Inuyasha smells sort of like him."

Kagome chewed on her lip and sat down on the bed next to Rin and the tray, "Why do you sleep with Lord Sesshomaru?"

The girl shrugged, "I was still sleeping with my parents when my family was killed. When Lord Sesshomaru brought me here and I kept having nightmares and crying he decided to let me sleep with him. It's been that way ever since. He usually even has his 'private time' with women during the day so that I can stay with him each night."

"Oh," Kagome said softly, "You have never slept with Inuyasha before though?"

"I don't think anyone has." Rin smacked her food thoughtfully. "He doesn't do things with many women but when he does they don't ever come to his room. Some of the other demons laugh about it."

For some reason the thought of other demons laughing at Inuyasha really bothered her, "Why would they laugh? He is still strong and he is a prince."

Rin smiled, "Demons don't think about kings and queens and stuff like humans do. They are powerful demons but they don't necessarily have the last say in anything, and they have to work and fight just like all the other demons. Since Inuyasha is half human, he has to work and fight twice as hard to get the same amount of recognition."

Kagome nodded, politics had never been her strong suit but she understood. "Did you see Inuyasha's bruises from yesterday?"

The girl nodded quietly, "He stopped by my room to ask me to get him a poultice while he was in the bath, then he picked it up when he was done."

"Does the fighting get that brutal often?" Kagome asked, feeling something akin to worry at the thought of Inuyasha trading blows with enormous demons all day every day.

"Only when they have something to fight over," Rin said as her eyes met Kagome's.

"Are you telling me he got beaten up over me? They are already getting serious?"

Rin nodded and scooted the rest of what was on the tray towards Kagome, "They have been serious all along. And Inuyasha wasn't beaten up; he won that fight. Had he not, the others would have come and gotten you as soon as he was on the ground."

A little shiver of fear ran across her skin. Why hadn't he told her?

"Finish eating so I can get to work," Rin said calmly, as if they hadn't just been discussing Kagome's imminent and disturbing future.

Kagome did as she was told and said her goodbyes when Rin got up to leave. She had a lot of things to think about and not enough time to do it in. Hesitantly she picked up a book; she wasn't ready to be faced with all of this yet.

After Inuyasha had returned for the night and the two of them were sitting in companionable silence Kagome found it harder to focus on her book.

With him here, every noise he made caused her to want to look up and every other thought kept going back to him. It was much easier to pretend none of this was happening without him here reminding her.

"You were a lot better with a sword then I thought you would be," Inuyasha said as he looked at her.

Kagome sighed; thankful he had broken the silence first. "Why? Because I'm female?"

"No…I just never heard any stories about the holy priestesses fighting with blades. It was always the bow."

She nodded, "It's much easier to purify an arrow than a sword, something about the metal makes swords very difficult to manipulate spiritually. I did a dagger once but it was very weak when it came up against dark forces."

"And your weapons have to be purified?" he asked.

"No," she shut her book so that she could better focus on him, "but if we don't then they are just like every other sword and arrow. Bringing down a huge raging demon isn't easy with purified weapons; with normal ones it is almost impossible. Don't demons have enchanted weapons?"

He shrugged, "Some do, others prefer just brute force."

"Which are you?" she asked.

He grinned, "A little of both."

Kagome nodded and started to nervously chew her lip.

"So…how were you captured?" he asked softly.

"My sister…she sold me to Naraku…," Kagome held her breath to keep from letting it come out shaky.

"What a bitch," he growled.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at that, "I felt the same way at first."

"And now?"

"Now I just want to know why. Peace isn't a good enough reason, especially when there is a deadline on it. There has to be another reason she wanted to get rid of me," she said.

He nodded, "If you ever get free…what will you do?"

"When I get free demon, WHEN, and I have no idea. I miss my old life but I can feel that something inside me doesn't fit into that place anymore," she blushed a bit when she realized how intently he was looking at her.

"So you won't ever be a priestess again?"

"Being a priestess is something you're born into, not something you do for a little while and then retire; it's a lifestyle, it defines you. I will always be a priestess…it's the traveling great distances to find and fight demons that bothers me."

He sat up, "You don't want to fight demons anymore?"

Kagome shut her eyes as too many emotions rushed over her, "I don't know. I don't understand. I have killed demons…before they killed people. What if they were innocent?"

"Some of them were," Inuyasha said, looking down at his hands now to avoid making eye contact. "Demons that are too quiet and peaceful to live around all of us often move into your lands. Even the worst humans are often not as cruel as a bad demon."

How could there be so much that she didn't know? This was her entire life…and she was working through it blind. "I have never seen a baby demon," she said softly.

"Would you like to?"

Kagome hesitated and then slowly nodded. Inuyasha gave her a smile so bright it made her chest tight.

"I'll be back in a minute," he was up and out the door before she could object.

No more than ten minutes later the door was opening again and Inuyasha was ushering in a young female demon with beautiful orange hair and green eyes; she was a fox demon, her fluffy tail couldn't belong to any other.

"Kagome, this is Manami," Inuyasha nudged the nervous female forward.

"Manami, this is the priestess Kagome. I wanted to show her Shippo, she has never seen a baby of our kind," he said softly.

The woman blinked at Kagome over the bundle of blankets in her arms before she slowly started to rearrange them to make the baby easier to see. Inuyasha motioned Kagome over and she had no choice but to shuffle over to stand next to the woman and look down at the baby.

He was perfect. The female inside her, the piece of her that was just dying to be a mother, swooned. "He is beautiful."

This seemed to please the woman because she gave Kagome a small smile then and relaxed a bit, "Do you want to hold him?"

Kagome slowly nodded.

The young demon moved closer to Kagome and helped the priestess gently move the child into her arms.

Kagome held the weight of the baby and looked into his big gorgeous eyes and decided she had never seen a human baby as pretty as this little demon. She swayed a little at her waist and gently rocked the kitsune. Some part of her made her look up and her eyes immediately met Inuyasha's.

His serious gaze locked with hers for a heartbeat, then another, before he looked away; but the moment felt like it had lasted an hour.

Kagome decided that she had kept the child from its mother for too long and hesitantly gave him back, "Thank you for letting me meet him."

Manami smiled, "You are welcome, Kagome." The female demon glanced at Inuyasha and he gave her grateful nod before she slipped out of the room.

"She was scared of me," Kagome mumbled.

Inuyasha nodded, "She is a young mother who doesn't know how to fight effectively and you are a professional at doing just that. She didn't want to come but after I convinced her that she and I would both be present she agreed." He walked over to sit on the bed with a sigh, "Though now I think she likes you. I'm sure all the females will be gossiping about you soon."

And you, Kagome wanted to add. From the things she had gathered from Rin, Inuyasha seeking out a female demon-especially one with a child- and bringing her back to his room was very different from his normal behavior. "Thanks"

He flopped back on the bed, "You don't have to thank me for showing you what you should have already seen. It was just a baby."

"It wasn't," and you know it, she thought.

"Honestly, you get too worked up about-" Inuyasha jumped out of the bed a second and a half before Rin fell in through the door panting.

"What's going on?" he asked at rushed to her.

"Naraku…started talking about you….the others…one of them is coming to take Kagome if you haven't…already…" she breathed heavily between every few words.

Inuyasha blinked for a moment and then nodded, "Ok, get out of here."

Rin nodded once and was back out the door.

He turned to her and tugged his shirt over his head, "Take off that dress."

"Right now? Are we going to…" Kagome's entire face turned red and her heart leapt into her throat.

"No damn it, take it off tomorrow. OF COURSE RIGHT NOW!" he growled and ripped the top half off in one powerful jerk, leaving only the long skirt intact.

Kagome gasped but he didn't seem to need her help or permission anymore. He picked her up and carried her to the bed where he tossed her down and climbed up after her.

"Inuyasha, what-?"

He shushed her and tugged the blankets up over them, so that his and her still-clothed hips were under the blanket but their bare torsos were showing.

She knew what he was doing know, it was just like at the hot springs, but every time his forearms or hands brushed against her bare skin she had to fight to keep from arching into the touch.

He lifted one of her legs and placed it over his hip so that he was nestled firmly between her thighs. "They will leave quickly once they see us," he murmured, trying not to allow himself to get any harder against her.

Kagome nodded breathlessly as the door swung open just after Inuyasha had dropped his head down to kiss at her neck. She didn't have to fake the moan that spilled from her lips when his hips ground against her.

Inuyasha lifted his head slowly and looked at the door as if only suddenly realizing that they had guests. "Do you fucking need something?" he snarled.

Kagome shivered and felt her eyes sliding shut as her hips made a few tiny movements from side to side without her permission, rubbing his hard length against her sensitive and aching core.

One of the demons snorted, "Oh, we do."

Another laughed.

Still another groaned, "Dude, she smells even better than I thought she would."

She felt Inuyasha go tense above her and she was instantly embarrassed. Now he knew how bad her body wanted him! How could she lie about her reaction to him now?

Rage at the thought of another demon smelling the scent of the beautiful female below him made his lips pull back from his teeth. He had to clench his claws into the sheets to avoid jumping from the bed and onto one of the bastards daring to see Kagome's bare breasts.

"Yeah, perhaps we should sit and watch the show. I bet we don't even need to touch her to get off," one of the three chuckled darkly.

Inuyasha let out a snarl that was pure animal and the three went silent. Kagome tried to calm her racing heart, to cool the heat that had suddenly enveloped her, it was no use. She clenched her eyes shut and her legs tighter around his hips.

"Get out of here before I have to get up and help you," he growled and Kagome barely heard the mumbled reply and the sound of the door closing.

Moments passed without either of them moving and finally Kagome was forced to open her eyes and look up at him. His amber eyes met hers and she felt muscles inside her clench that she hadn't even known she possessed. He studied her for a moment before moving, as if in a trance.

Excruciatingly slowly, he leaned down to let his lips move over her neck again. Instantly Kagome was covered in goose bumps. She sucked in a sharp breath when his teeth gently nipped her and one of his hands came up to grab her thigh and pull her harder against him.

"Inuyasha…I…" all coherent thought flew out the window as he kisses trailed lower and finally rested upon one pink nipple. She whimpered as his breath fanned against the sensitive skin. He groaned and took this as assent before sucking the bud into his mouth.

She had never felt anything like this before. Kagome's head jerked back of its own volition and her chest lifted higher to press more firmly against his mouth. He growled hungrily in response and the vibration against her made her writhe underneath him.

He lifted his hips away from her while keeping his mouth pressed firmly against her breast. Kagome whimpered at the sudden absence of his heated, rigid length; he had felt so good. A calloused hand slid from its place on her breast and down to her stomach. Kagome's hands tangled in his hair so that she could pull him closer to her but she froze when his fingertips brushed the sensitive skin between her legs.

She started to object but the slow stroke of one of his fingers down her slit had her crying out instead. She had never felt like this, never been touched like this; she couldn't stop it now even if she had wanted to.

One long finger slipped between her folds and made her suck in a deep breath and hold it. Her hands moved to clutch at his shoulders where she could dig her nails into his skin. He slid the finger easily out of her before pushing roughly back in and started to pick up a rhythm.

His lips moved up to worship her neck and a second finger joined the first insider her. Something big was about to happen, she was desperate for it.

His thumb pressed down roughly on the nub at the top of her slit and she shattered underneath him.

Every muscle in her body went from being rigid with tension to being completely liquid and all she could do was lay there and pant.

Inuyasha rolled heavily to her side so that he wouldn't crush her with his weight. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Granted, as soon as he had ripped her dress and seen those perfect creamy breasts he had wanted to touch her but he had never suspected or intended that he would tonight. Her scent had filled the room and his nose and he decided he would be content to breathe nothing but her for the rest of his life. He didn't even give a damn that he was still painfully hard.

Kagome shivered with an aftershock of her pleasure and stared at the ceiling as her mind slowly drifted back to earth. She had…allowed Inuyasha to…touch her. She had _wanted _him to. She still wanted him to…

He breathed heavily and stared at the ceiling, "This scent is either going to help you or it's going to work against you."

She was still struggling to breathe normally and wanting desperately to pretend nothing had happened at all, "How can it work against me? I thought the scents were all they needed." Had he touched her just for the benefit of the demons outside or because he actually wanted to?

"It is, but the bastards were right; you smell amazing. I honestly think it's going to make the rest act worse," he said softly.

Kagome sighed, "Is there nothing I can do?"

"I'll keep thinking," he mumbled.

She nodded nervously and bit her lip as the wonderful glow of her orgasm started to fade. What had she done? Could she really be considered pure now? She was…a disgrace. She had never been a priestess, only some whore dressed up as one… a demon's whore. She barely held back the urge to collapse into hysterical crying.

Kagome looked up and found the demon looking at her with a worried expression. Instantly the fear of her people's judgment and hatred receded and was replaced by the fear of what was happening now. She had let the demon touch her, she had enjoyed it, and she knew without a doubt that if he tried to do so again she would be unable and unwilling to stop him. Oh God, what was wrong with her?

The urge to distance herself from him both emotionally and physically was overwhelming, "I shall pray that it bought us some time." The words sounded calm and she congratulated herself on the small victory. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to go to bed now."

Inuyasha had watched her relaxed face flush first with worry, then fear, and finally disgust. He knew she was upset that he had touched her but there wasn't a lot he could do about it now. Her cool attitude grated across his skin.

"Yeah, go to bed," he kept his voice level as he stood to grab his shirt off the floor. "I'm going to find someone to beat the shit out of."

Kagome blinked at the emotionless mask that was now covering Inuyasha's features. It was almost like he was mad at her…but why would he be? His name was on the tip of her tongue but she held it in until he had shut the door behind him.

She sagged down into his plush bed. Oh Goddess, what had she done?

Less than an hour had passed before she heard it. A thump just outside the door that had her lurching up and wrapping the sheet around her; surely Rin or Inuyasha would just walk in? Though Inuyasha might be feeling as awkward as she was…would he knock at his own door?

The knock was loud and accompanied by several shuffles.

Instead of going to the door or calling out for the visitor to come in, she eased off the bed and over to the wall that Inuyasha had decorated with old weapons. Her hands found the lightest and sharpest sword about the time that the door opened and she heard Naraku's voice.

"I know I saw him heading for the stables…he could be gone for hours…"

She moved into a defensive stance and grudgingly let the sheet slip to the floor, leaving only her ripped dress to cover her from her hips down. There was just no hope of holding the damn thing and still being able to swing a sword with any skill…and if this was to be a choice between her modesty and her chastity, she would willingly sacrifice the former.

Four demons all piled into the room at once, stumbling over one another in their haste to take their prize. Four sets of eyes widened when they saw her, breasts bare to the eye, knees bent, and sword waiting horizontally at her eye level.

"Look at those tits," one of the demons hissed gleefully.

Naraku seemed more concerned with the sword, "Get her." Naturally he stood back while the other three rushed her.

Kagome swung her sword with all her might and was rewarded with a spray of warm blood hitting her face and the sight of her first opponent's right arm falling uselessly to the ground. She had no time to celebrate though, with their comrade's howls of agony and angry echoing in their ears the other two suddenly seemed to sober.

"Don't use any weapons against her. We want her whole when we take her," Naraku said from the doorway as another demon joined them.

Kagome jerked her eyes back to the two men in front of her as the one she had wounded crawled away.

With a nod to each other, they both suddenly lunged at her. Her sword split the skin across the larger one's chest and came back up just in time to catch the other demon in nook where his neck met his shoulders. She didn't have enough strength to bring the blade all the way down though and his thick flesh proved to be her undoing.

He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching at the huge gash in his neck that went down into his body a good three inches. Blood was pouring like a river from him but the other demon seemed to ignore his friend altogether.

While her sword was lodged in the other's body the large demon grabbed her arm, jerked her forward, and then pinned her against his body with his thick arms.

"Come Mikio, leave the others and bring her. We mustn't be here if Inuyasha returns," Naraku said.

She struggled and kicked but it was to no avail. With one solid hit to the side of her head she went limp and lost all capability to move her limbs. The giant demon, who must have been seven feet tall, resituated his hold and she found herself hanging limply in front of him help up by his two bent arms.

He started walking from the room and she finally had the time to observe the fifth demon that had joined them and stood next to Naraku at the door. With red eyes he observed the wreckage she had wreaked on the two other demons…and then he turned those eyes on her. She wanted to scream when she saw not anger, or fear, or even some form of respect in them…she saw hunger. He had watched her cut open his friends and he had enjoyed it…

Quickly they moved down the hall and Kagome's head was still spinning so bad that she couldn't even guess what direction they had taken. Her lids started falling shut and she struggled to keep them open, to stay aware, but the blow to her head had been a serious one and she was unable to fight unconsciousness any longer.

When she woke again it was to the sound of fabric ripping.

Her eyes immediately flew open, but the nausea she felt overwhelmed her horror at seeing her legs bare and spread in front of her.

"Look at that sweet flower," the man who had been 'late to the party' said wistfully. "Have you ever seen anything so pretty?"

She struggled to close her legs and realized that the 'wall' she had been leaning up against was actually the big man that had finally subdued her. She was sitting in his lap with her back pressed against his chest, and he had his arms draped over her shoulders. From this position he could hold down her arms and use his massive hands to hold her pale legs open for the viewing pleasure of the other two demons.

Naraku smiled, "Not in a couple of weeks at least. Her sister's tits were bigger but she lacked the virgin appeal that this one has."

Kagome sucked in an a horrified breath, he was lying! He didn't know Kikyou like that!

Something warm moved across her inner thigh and she started to thrash hard in the arms of the big man.

"Hold her still Mikio," Naraku ordered as he leaned down and ran his hand over Kagome's skin…moving closer and closer to her spread slit.

Nausea be damned she hoped that she threw up on them all, Kagome decided as she struggled, trying everything from arching her back to kicking her feet to hitting and pinching at the sides of the man holding her down. But all of it was to no avail… she was well and truly stuck.

A rough finger found the opening that Inuyasha's digit had found hours before…but this time her body wasn't willing to cooperate. With Inuyasha she had been so wet that his finger had easily slid into her but now…now she was so scared and nauseous that there wasn't even a hint of moisture between her thighs. Naraku tried shoving his finger inside her anyway and she couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"I shouldn't ease your pain," he said as he pulled back his finger and slipped it into his mouth. He pulled it out a second later, glistening with extra saliva, "I should make you suffer for the way you fought me on our way into the demon lands." He moved the hand back down to her and she grimaced when he slid it up and down her slit. Suddenly her mouth was as dry as her…

Suddenly it was all very real.

"Lucky for you priestess, I am merciful…I don't want you _completely_ ruined," he smirked as his finger slid insider her with only minimal friction.

Suddenly she was so scared that she almost screamed in sheer terror.

"Lucky for you…_I _am merciful..." a rough voice said from behind them. "I will make your deaths quick instead of giving you the years of suffering that you deserve."

The two demons in front of her whirled around to see the demon standing behind them.

Kagome sobbed when she saw that her savior was Inuyasha. She wouldn't have recognized him by voice alone but there was no doubt in her mind upon seeing him. His chest was heaving from his labored breaths.

He stepped into the dim light of the room and she saw that his beautiful golden eyes had turned blood red, and angry purple slashes now marked each of his cheekbones. She had never seen him look so demonic before and it occurred to her that his jagged breathing must be from his fight to control his demon rather than from exertion.

"Now now Inuyasha, you know it's not fair to keep her all to yourself when you aren't even using her," Naraku was trying to stay calm but even in her emotional state she could tell that he was nervous.

"Fair? Ask me if I give a fuck you piece of shit," Inuyasha snarled. He glanced over at her, "Mikio, let her shut her legs but don't you dare fucking move a muscle for anything else."

The big man instantly let go of her legs and let her shut them, then he simply cradled her instead of holding her open to the others. She felt a measure of relief but wouldn't be consoled more until she was back safely in Inuyasha's room.

"Inuyasha, I am not the only one who wants her. By our law we may have whatever we can take," Naraku actually sounded clam now.

Inuyasha's red eyes were suddenly back on Naraku, "Good luck taking anything, in your condition."

Naraku opened his mouth to question the statement but before he could get a word out Inuyasha was on top of him, pinning him to the floor. Inuyasha braced his feet on Naraku's chest and gripped both of his arms tightly.

Kagome watched in horror and awe as Inuyasha, with one mighty jerk, ripped both of Naraku's limbs from him.

Naraku was screaming now. Screaming for mercy…screaming for revenge…screaming for help…

With his eyes locked on the other demon, Inuyasha leaned down and cupped the back of Naraku's head almost gently, belying his true intentions. Without even a word of warning he grasped Naraku's chin with his other hand and twisted while jerking up.

Suddenly there was no more screaming.

Kagome's heartbeat slowed to a near stop as she watched Inuyasha drop the head of the man who had been about to rape her only minutes before. An expression of agony would now be forever etched upon the bodiless orb.

Like a tiger stalking its prey, Inuyasha turned to the other demon who had stood and watched Naraku be torn to pieces.

"I don't smell her on you," Inuyasha growled as he drew close enough to make the demon uncomfortable.

"I haven't touched her, my lord," the male's voice came out in almost a whisper.

Inuyasha nodded calmly, "Very well. Look me in the eye and tell me that you didn't intend to fuck my female before the nights end…and I'll let you go." His voice was soothing…easing the male's fears until the male suddenly realized that he was seconds away from stepping into a trap.

The other male swallowed.

"That's what I thought," Inuyasha's voice lost it's cool tone and lunged forward, grabbing the male and to everyone's surprise, jerking his pants down. With a rough hand Inuyasha grabbed the male's softened member.

"Mikio…carry her outside and keep her safe," Inuyasha's tone brooked no argument.

On shaky legs the giant male stood and rushed from the room, carrying her as gently as if she were made of china. He carried her outside quickly…but not fast enough that Kagome didn't hear the other male start to beg Inuyasha for mercy a second before Inuyasha growled and the male screamed in agony.

Kagome tried to focus on the night sky above her…to pretend she was back at home, lying on a grassy hill with her sister and looking at the stars… but the sounds of bones breaking and a man sobbing for relief kept shattering the illusion for her. After what seemed like half an hour Inuyasha came out and all the blood covering his body shone black under the moonlight.

"Put her down," Inuyasha growled.

The giant eased her onto her feet and took a hesitant step back as soon as she was somewhat steady.

Kagome whimpered and closed the distance between her and the still demonic Inuyasha with three weak steps. One of his arms came around her shoulder and its warmth brought a level of comfort that she would have never thought was possible.

"You will go to my room and personally remove your dead comrade and clean up all the blood that has been spilled. Do you understand?" Inuyasha growled. "I want my room spotless within an hour."

"I understand my lord," the man said softly.

Inuyasha nodded, "Give me your shirt."

Without question the man handed it over, Inuyasha removed his arm from around her and took the offensive piece of cloth. His movements rigid, he handed the cloth back to her and she slowly started to tug it over her head.

"One last thing," he said, "I have a message for you to take back all of those who have been considering taking what belongs to me."

She pulled the shirt over her head just in time to see the two…penises that Inuyasha was holding out to the giant. A wave of nausea almost brought her to her knees but she steadied herself by grasping Inuyasha's free arm.

"Take these to the dining hall. Throw them on the table in front of all of this castles inhabitants…let them see the proof as you tell them of all you have seen tonight." Inuyasha's voice became louder, "You tell them that if they doubt the half blood Inuyasha and they want his prize then I _welcome_ their challenge. They have long wished for a demonic king to rule with blood and bone like in the old days…you tell them that they have brought this upon themselves." He took a deep breath, "You tell them that the next challenger will_ pray_ that I give him a death so easy as the those twos."

He sighed, "Last but not least…you tell them that my prize hacked off one of your men's arms, and killed another, before I came to her aid. So that they know, even when she is alone…she is not a helpless human. She is a Miko Priestess who has killed hundreds of our kind and will not hesitate to kill a hundred more."

Kagome's heart swelled larger and larger as he spoke. The tears that she had felt pouring down her cheeks ever since she had been carried out of Inuyasha's room were beginning to slow. The demons had made her forget who she was…how powerful she could be in a fair fight…Inuyasha made her remember.

"Now leave us. Clean my fucking room and then stay the hell out of my way, or I will change my mind and kill you for the crime you have committed against me and mine this night."

The giant bowed low, "I am sorry, Priestess…I-"

Inuyasha cut him off with a heavy blow to the side of the head. It was enough to make the man stumble and fall to his knees.

"You will not ever speak to her or look upon her again, unless she bids you to do so." Inuyasha snarled viciously, "Your apologies are mine to hear…and only after you have done as I have bid. Now _go_."

All at once she was alone with the demon who looked like her Inuyasha but felt like a stranger.


	6. Chapter 6

An update as requested. =P Ignore the grammar mistakes that I'm sure are in there; I didn't proofread the chapter after I typed it up (because I am a horrible person).

Mwah! Enjoy and review my dears!

* * *

With a tenderness that she hadn't expected from such a fierce looking demon, Inuyasha bent and picked her up to carry her in much the same way that Mikio had. Except, with his arms gently bracing her back and the crooks of her knees, she couldn't help but lean into his embrace…to press her face against his bloodied shirt…to take deep breaths to inhale his unique and familiar scent.

She hadn't realized how little she had been paying attention to her surroundings until he pushed open a door and she heard soft sobbing on the other side.

Kagome rotated her head to look for who was crying and immediately pressed her forehead back against Inuyasha's chest as another painful wave of nausea washed over her, making her see black spots.

"Inuyasha!" a young female voice cried out, "Is she ok? What can I do?" Kagome realized it was Rin's voice only a minute before she registered the sound of water bubbling in the background. They were at the baths?

"She hit her head but other than that…she is untouched," he growled out. "I'll leave her with you while I go change and try to…get control."

"No!" Kagome nearly shouted as she clutched his shirt in her hands. "Don't leave me, please…please…" An overwhelming panic hit her at the thought of him leaving her alone.

"I will go get your clothes…and some herbs for her to drink for the pain. She needs you with her now," Rin sniffed as she tried to get a hold of her own frantic emotions. Her small hand reached out to touch Kagome's shoulder and Kagome jerked away before she had even thought about it.

Rin's eyes widened and Kagome could tell that she was a little stunned by the rejection, but she was trying to be a big girl. Kagome wanted to tell her she was a good girl but she couldn't seem to get her throat and tongue to cooperate.

"She needs you…" Rin said again softly. "I'll be outside the door when you're done. Just yell for me."

With that she was gone, and Kagome found herself again alone with the demon Inuyasha.

He clenched his jaw, "Kagome, I cannot be human for you right now."

"I don't need a human…I just need Inuyasha," she whispered without being brave enough to look into his eyes.

He sighed, "Let go so I can put you down."

"You're leaving?" again her voice came out louder than she had intended and she dug her nails into his clothes for any purchase she could get to hold him there.

"No," his voice dropped to a whisper, "I won't leave unless you tell me to. I was…going to help you out of that shirt. Can you handle being naked in front of me right now?"

She swallowed nervously but nodded and let him put her legs down. The stone was rough and a little warm under her feet. Limply she stood and allowed him to remove the shirt from her.

The big shirt fell to the stone with a soft whoosh and Kagome shivered as her skin slowly became aware that it was open to the air. She brought her arms up and crossed them protectively over her chest as she watched Inuyasha remove his own shirt and then hesitate at his bloodied pants.

"It's ok," she said hoarsely. She wanted the blood gone more than she wanted to keep the boundaries up between them. She wanted all evidence of tonight gone.

He didn't ask if she was sure. Just silently slid his hakama pants to the floor and stepped out of them.

She looked at his body and remembered how beautiful she had thought he was that first night here at the hot baths. He still looked beautiful…but she was too tired to admire him fully. She just wanted to be clean and to be held.

As if he had read her mind he moved closer to her and gently picked her up. Like she weighed no more than a feather he carried her down the steps into the hot springs.

Kagome sighed in gratitude as the warm water enveloped her body but she didn't loosen her hold on Inuyasha's neck.

"Are you sure you are ok…being this close to a male demon right now?" he asked softly.

She had been startled by his voice at first but now she was relaxing back into his chest, "I'm fine."

A few moments of tense silence passed before he spoke again, "Don't you want to wash off?"

Kagome thought about it. She felt unclean after all that had happened…but she refused to loosen her hold on him. Her arms tightened around his neck, "I just want to sit here for a bit…"

"Ok…" he said softly and gently smoothed his hand over her hair.

Silent moments turned into silent minutes…and then a silent hour.

A soft knock at the door made Inuyasha blink back into awareness. He hadn't fallen asleep but he had been so close…

Rin peeked her head in the door, "Inuyasha?"

"Come in," he said softly and gently unwound Kagome's arms from around his neck. "Come wash her quickly while I hold her..." He was both grateful and worried that Kagome continued to sleep in his arms.

Rin rushed to do as she was told and after a few minutes they had the priestess clean.

Inuyasha stood still while Rin dried off as much of Kagome as she could reach and then he shooed her back. "Wrap a towel over her," he said and then nodded when Kagome's body was sufficiently covered, "and bring us up a couple extra to the room?"

The small girl nodded, grabbed two extra towels, and then followed Inuyasha as he made his way up to his room.

Inuyasha was impressed by Mikio's work. The room was spotless; just as he had ordered…

It must have been hard to get all of the blood out of the rug. Inuyasha remembered what the room had looked like when he had returned…everything was splattered with blood, an arm lay unclaimed on the floor, a demon lay dead a few feet away from the arm with one of Inuyasha's swords still sunk into its flesh, and the smell of Kagome's fear had filled the air.

Just the thought of that moment made his demon blood come boiling back to the surface. He held back a snarl of rage at the audacity of the five demons and moved to gently lay Kagome down on the bed.

He was pleased to note that all the bedding had been replaced. "Dry her hair as much as you can," he told Rin and stepped away from Kagome so that he could dry his own waist length hair.

Instantly she was whimpering and reaching her hand out for him with her eyes clenched shut. The sight almost undid him and he barely subdued his demon side long enough to slip on some hakama pants, wring his hair out once more, and then climb back into the bed. As soon as her hands found him her body followed and her warmth brought his demon a measure of calm. His mate was safe…she was warm, she was safe, and she was in his arms…

Kagome's own scream awoke her in the middle of the night and jerked her into a sitting position. The single candle in the room provided just enough light to assure her that she was back in Inuyasha's room. She clenched her hands in his soft sheets and glanced down to her left side.

Inuyasha…her savior…was lying next to her and watching her intently with those amber eyes.

"It's ok…" he said softly, "they are all gone now…lie back down."

She allowed him to pull her back down onto the bed and, surprisingly, into his arms. Cradled in the safety of those arms she allowed herself to think over what had happened.

"I tried to stop them," she whispered.

Inuyasha nodded, "You did an amazing job, Kagome."

She frowned, "They took me anyway…Naraku…" She shuddered as she remembered the pain between her thighs and the hungry look on his face.

"Rin brought you this tea," Inuyasha said and let go of her long enough to lean over to the table beside his bed and pick up the wooden cup Rin had brought him. "It's probably cold now but it should still help with any lingering pain."

Kagome took the cup and held it to her chest, "Why did you let the big one go?" She hated that even she could hear the fear in her voice. She had never supported violence and unnecessary deaths but she suddenly found herself thirsty for a man's blood, "Why didn't you kill him like the other two?"

"Drink the tea," Inuyasha ordered, and refused to speak more until she lifted the cup to her mouth and started to swallow the healing drink. "I let Mikio go…because he didn't plan any of it. Naraku simply used him as extra muscle to get what he wanted. Mikio…isn't a smart demon. Nor has he ever acted particularly violent around me…I think he regrets what he did, because he knows it was wrong…not just because he knows what I could and would do to him."

She handed him back the empty cup and frowned as she thought, "I shouldn't be a priestess…I have no right to be called that anymore."

Inuyasha frowned, "Why? You remain a virgin."

"Because," she felt a tear slide down her cheek, "because priestesses are healers…and I don't want to heal anymore… I don't care if he was manipulated by Naraku! I know it's wrong but I don't care! I want his blood! I want to see him die." Letting that first tear fall seemed to have broken the damn; she now felt them pouring down both of her cheeks as she sobbed and fell into Inuyasha's supportive arms.

"I should be horrified by what you did to those men…but I'm not!" she cried. "I'm so glad that they hurt so much before they died."

Inuyasha watched his priestess struggle with the guilt of feeling relief at someone's painful death. He didn't know what to say…he would kill them just a as cruelly if he could do it again…he felt no remorse. "Kagome…they tried to hurt you…in a way that could be considered worse than death by some. You are not wrong to feel relieved that they suffered…you're not wrong for wishing that I had hurt Mikio as well." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "When the light of tomorrow shines on all of this…some of that ugliness will be gone…and eventually you'll be like your old self again..."

Kagome pressed her body fully against his; shocked that she could find such comfort in the arms of a demon…one that had ripped two men apart this night…one who considered her as little more than a pet…

"But even tonight, while you're hurting and at your angriest, you are still the priestess Kagome," Inuyasha petted her head soothingly like his mother had used to do for him. "If I brought Mikio in here right now and offered to kill him for you…you would look in his eyes and you wouldn't be able to say yes. You might want to but you wouldn't be able to, because you are still pure of heart and you would know that it would be wrong."

She cried because he was right…and because he knew her so well. "What do you know about being pure of heart? I saw you ripping those men to pieces tonight…you can pretend to be civilized all you want now, but I can never un-see what I have seen. I was foolish for thinking you were so different from them…" Gods and Goddesses, why was she so angry? Why would she say such a thing to the man that had saved her?

"Do you want me to go sleep on the floor?" he offered softly after a moment of tense silence.

Kagome studied his dimly lit face and saw in his eyes that even though her words had bothered him, his offer was sincere. Her heart clenched so hard she sobbed again, "Inuyasha…why is this so hard? Please…please help me."

His muscled arms came back around her and she knew she should push them away, but right at that moment all she wanted to do was cuddle deeper into his embrace.

She cried until she had no more tears to cry, until all she could do was ache silently and clutch tightly to the only rock in this unending ocean of battering waves. Without this rock she would surely succumb to those waves and sink to her death…no one would be strong enough to swim these waters alone unaided…

Inuyasha was grateful when Kagome's breathing finally slowed to the point that he knew she had at last found sleep. Her tears would be his undoing, he decided. He wanted to jump up and kill something, he wanted to stay here and hold her forever, he wanted to demand everyone in his kingdom come bow before her and pay their respects…he wanted to do whatever it would take to make those damned tears stop.

The fact that he wasn't supposed to care if his 'pet' cried didn't even enter his mind.

When Kagome woke up again she could barely pry her eyes open and her entire body felt so heavy that she couldn't lift it off the bed. She wasn't new to this feeling, she'd felt it before once after she had been wounded in a fight with a demon and Keade had needed her unconscious so that she could cut out the demons poisoned claw that it had left imbedded in her thigh. Inuyasha, or Rin, had drugged her.

The thought should have irritated her, should have reaffirmed her belief that you simply couldn't trust a demon, but when she finally did get her eyes open all thoughts of evil demons were swept from her mind.

Inuyasha lay completely still beside her, his face at the same level as hers on the pillow…his limbs were tangled with hers but were for the most part wrapped around her body in a protective shell.

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest but she gave in to the urge to study his features instead of waking him and putting some distance between their bodies. Wisps of his silver bangs hung down over his dark eyebrows and drew her eyes to his dark eyelashes. Had she ever seen his face so relaxed and unguarded? Even his lips, just a shade or two pinker than his tanned skin, were slack with relaxation.

Kagome had to remind herself that under those soft, deceptively human-like lips, were canines big enough to do a wolf proud. He was no defenseless male…he wasn't even human.

Suddenly his eyes were opened and the golden orbs held her transfixed. She wanted to lifted her head off the pillow and move away from him…but she was having difficulty just keeping her breathing even, moving wasn't an option.

"You're usually gone when I wake up…" she commented dumbly. Anything to break the silence and make him stop looking at her with those eyes…that tender expression. His eyes slowly moved down to study her own lips and she had to clench her jaw to keep her tongue from betraying her and attempting to catch his attention by licking those lips.

Almost lazily he looked back up at her, "I didn't think you'd want to be alone." An edge of discomfort crept into his voice.

She swallowed nervously, "You could have asked Rin to stay with me…I'm sure you have important things to be doing than babysitting me."

He was quiet for a minute.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here last night…when they came," he finally released her from the spell of his gaze by sitting up and looking everywhere but at her. "I told you that I wouldn't let them hurt you."

Kagome didn't know what to say. She wanted to thank him, to say that he had done plenty and she was eternally grateful… "You're only one demon against an entire kingdom…I think you're doing an ok job of keeping me safe." She tried to smile, to laugh off the night before like it had been some bad joke.

He stilled, "You're right…I was stupid to think I could keep them away from you like that…we need a better plan."

"Hire bodyguards?" she offered helpfully, trying not to let this new serious Inuyasha get under her skin. He was just a demon…and as she had learned, some of them were capable of being nice occasionally. That was it.

"There are none that I would trust enough."

Instead of making her worry for her own safety, his words dug their way into the cracked shell that she had tried to keep up around her heart…and she found herself pitying him for having lived such a lonely life. He deserved friends…he deserved a family that loved him…

She chose to keep silent.

A soft knock at the door made Kagome's heart leap into her throat and her body to instantly close the distance between her and Inuyasha.

The door slowly opened and Rin poked her head in before apologetically coming the rest of the way in and shutting the door behind her. With her head lowered and her eyes on the tray of food, she spoke, "I brought you both breakfast…I figured you'd be hungry since neither of you ate yesterday evening. And…Kagome a new dress."

"Thank you Rin," Inuyasha said and gestured for her to come in, "you can sit it on the edge of the bed."

Kagome frowned, "Why are you acting like this? Has someone tried to hurt you?"

Inuyasha's rough hand smoothing over the back of her own made her aware of the fact that she had pressed herself against him and was clenching her hand in the sheets covering his lap.

Blushing, Kagome let go of the sheets and scooted away from him; she was naked, what the hell was she thinking?

"She is only acting like that because of how upset you were last night…" he said, pretending not to notice that she was now treating him like he had leprosy.

Kagome thought for a moment and remembered Rin reaching out to touch her and her recoiling as if Rin had been one of her attackers. "I'm sorry Rin…I'm better now…you can touch me…"

Rin looked up at her with tear filled eyes only a moment before launching herself across Inuyasha and into Kagome's lap, sobbing.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha with wide eyes but he didn't meet her gaze. He was looking down at the girl still halfway stretched across his lap and stroking her long black hair.

"I saw the room…" Rin sobbed, "I thought they had killed you!" She buried her face in Kagome's chest and her voice grew quiet, "I thought I'd never see you again…"

The priestess was at a loss so she took a page from Inuyasha's book and settled for quietly petting the girl's head while she finished crying.

"I'm going to…go," Inuyasha said and stood from the bed. "I'll be back soon. Rin, stay with Kagome."

"How soon?" Kagome hated how desperately she needed to know his answer.

He studied her moment before shrugging and pulling on a shirt, "Less than an hour."

She couldn't help but notice that even though she had been naked and vulnerable all night…her had slept beside her, kept his clothes on, and not once tried to take advantage. Why was everything about this demon so confusing?

He left the room without saying another word and Kagome turned her attention back to Rin, "I'm sorry that I acted like I did last night. You know that it wasn't your fault at all right?"

Rin shook her head, "Don't apologize. I would have been upset too if it had happened to me…" She sat up and wiped at her eyes, "Did you see what Inuyasha did to the ones who took you?"

Kagome nodded, "Most of it."

Rin swallowed, "I ran into him when he was on his way back to the room…so I walked with him." Her eyes met Kagome's, "He knew something was wrong and started moving faster down the hallway…then when he opened the door…I've never seen him like that Kagome. I thought he was going to bring the whole mountain down on top of us."

Kagome remembered how Inuyasha had looked when he had appeared behind Naraku. His eyes had been as red as fresh blood, his sharp teeth had been bared in a snarl, his fingers had been tense and spread wide with a sharp claw on the tip of each, his silver hair had even been lifting up around him…as if moved by some unseen power. But…even remembering her terrifying he had looked she couldn't remember ever feeling fear when she had been looking at him.

The young girl cuddled up against Kagome's side, "Everyone has been talking about what he did to the others… most of them are too terrified to even talk about you now, but I've heard of some that are angry that Inuyasha would kill so many of his own for the sake of a human priestess that is our enemy…"

Kagome was suddenly jerked back into reality. She was their enemy! And their prince had threatened them all because of her! She felt like the room was beginning to shrink around her; Rin had already said that Inuyasha had to fight twice as hard to fit in around here…how much worse would the other demons treat him now that he had taken a stand against them?

Rin gently touched Kagome's arm, "Inuyasha saved you last night…he can do it again. And once Sesshomaru is back he will get all the demons back in line."

"Your Lord Sesshomaru showed interest in having a turn with me once Inuyasha was done as well. What if he just makes it worse?" Kagome couldn't keep the bite out of her tone.

Rin shook her head vehemently, "No, once Lord Sesshomaru speaks to you and Inuyasha he will understand. He will make the others leave you alone."

Kagome snorted, "Please stop defending that demon in my presence. It was his idea to take me from my home and bring me here to whore for his people in the first place!"

Rin's solemn brown eyes looked hurt.

Kagome sighed, "I'm sorry but it _is_ true. Lord Sesshomaru may have treated you nicely but that doesn't mean that he cares anything for other humans, much less a Priestess that has devoted her life to killing demons."

"We will just have to wait and see, I guess," Rin said and slowly moved off the bed. "Inuyasha should be back soon, do you mind if I go back to my chores?"

"I'll be fine," Kagome said softly. Rin's presence didn't make her feel safe anyway…so there was no point in keeping the child with her and putting her at harms risk if other demons did decide to come for her.

In the ensuing silence Kagome got up and pulled on the red dress and long golden ribbon that Rin had brought her. It was still low-cut in the front and slit high on her thighs but at least it covered her midriff…and if she were honest the contrast between the red and the gold ribbon that wrapped around her waist several times was indeed pretty. But she just wanted to blend in with the demons, not tantalize them further.

A soft knock at the door had her moving behind the bed, "Who is it?"

"It's Ayame," the female said softly from the other side of the door.

"Oh, come in!" Kagome moved back to Inuyasha's side of the bed and sat down, trying to act casual.

Ayame slipped in and shut the door behind her. She looked around the room and her eyes went wide, "Inuyasha left you _alone_?"

"No, but I dismissed my very young and vulnerable babysitter," Kagome said softly.

"Rin huh?" Ayame smiled, "I'd be happy to be your babysitter, if you need back up…which I'm thinking you might after all that has happened. You look well though."

Kagome nodded, "I'm perfectly fine…and you'll have to speak to Inuyasha about helping to watch over me. He is in charge of that kind of thing."

The female demon smirked, "Looks like he has broken your bratty attitude but not your spirit; I'm glad you two are getting along. Though I do encourage you to get along better…just so the other demons know he isn't killing his own kind because he was pussy whipped by a woman that he isn't even fucking."

Kagome felt her cheeks turn pink. "He hasn't broken any part of me! I cooperate with him only because he hasn't yet tried to take me against my will. He is still a demon and I will still be escaping this place at the first chance I get." Why did those words, words she had spoken countless times since she had been taken prisoner, suddenly leave a bitter taste in her mouth?

Ayame smirked, "Sure sure, does he know that? Is that why he has killed his own people for you?"

Kagome opened her mouth but could think of nothing to say.

Inuyasha chose that moment to walk in the door, his eyes instantly landed on Ayame and narrowed, "Why are you here and where is Rin?"

"I could be of much more use in defending the priestess than Rin can, my Lord. I came to offer you and Priestess Kagome my services…because I consider her something of a friend..." Ayame looked up from the bow she had taken as soon as Inuyasha had walked into his room with narrowed eyes. "And the little Rin was already gone when I arrived."

He studied her for a moment and then looked at Kagome, "If the priestess trusts you enough to be her guard when I'm not around, then I will respect her decision."

Kagome gaped at him. He was letting her decide?

"I'll send word of her decision when we return," Inuyasha said and held his hand out for Kagome.

Kagome's stomach clenched with some unnamable feeling as she walked over to him and put her hand in his.

Ayame nodded, "I look forward to hearing your decision. Have a good day my Lord, Lady Priestess." She gave them both a small and graceful bow and then slipped from the room without another word.

Kagome looked to Inuyasha and her eyes suddenly went to the small bundle he had under his arm. "What's that?"

He glanced at his small burden and then back at Kagome, "Do you want it now or later?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and tried to look aloof; why should she care if he had brought her something? "Whenever you think is best, Lord Inuyasha."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Oh please. Like you give a shit what my title is." He let go of her hand in favor of kneeling in front of her and unrolling the cloth bundle he had been carrying.

Kagome's stomach clenched again as she looked down at the demon lord who was now on his knees before her. Why was he doing this? Her eyes widened when he finished unrolling the velvety cloth and revealed to her a dagger with a smooth leather sheath. The handle was one of the most ornate things she had ever seen…some white bone material with varying sizes of rubies inlaid throughout it and gold somehow inlaid in sparkling patterns on the very end of the pommel and on each of the two 'arms' branching out where the pommel met the blade.

He unsheathed the dagger and she shivered at the lethal hiss that the metal made when it slid from its sheath. With a hand under both the blade and the pommel he held it up to her.

Gingerly she took the weapon from his hands, and held the blade up so she could get a closer view. With the pommel included, the dagger was about as long as her forearm…and she could tell without touching it that it was very sharp.

The sensation of a warm hand on her inner thigh make her jerk backwards.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha murmured. "I was just going to show you how the sheath attaches to your leg."

She should have told him she could figure it out for herself but instead she slowly stepped back up to him. "Ok."

Inuyasha looked up at her as he lifted the thigh sheath back to her leg. He kept his eyes locked on hers, watching for any sign of fear or discomfort. Slowly he threaded the soft leather strap between her legs and slid it up higher…he needed to make sure it was strapped on high enough that the dagger wouldn't interfere with her movements or the bending of her knees.

Gently, he tightened the buckle on the front of her thigh, "Is this uncomfortable at all?"

She took a step from him, walked a small circle, and then squatted down before standing again, "No…it's surprisingly comfortable." She slid the blade into its sheath and smiled, "If I had a slightly less revealing dress on no one would even know it was there."

He nodded, "That's the point. The dagger isn't for flashing around to threaten people." He slowly stood, "The dagger is for after the sword fails…whenever whoever it is lets their guard down and gets close enough for you to stab them in the heart."

Kagome blinked up at Inuyasha as his tone grew rougher and faint purple started to appear on his cheeks where the slashes would be once he gave in to his demon blood. "Th…thank you…"

Inuyasha was unable to meet her eyes, "So, do you want me to have Ayame come guard you or the door anytime I have to leave?"

She shrugged, "She's certainly capable but I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me…"

"Let me rephrase," he said as he walked over and opened his chest at the end of the bed. "Do you trust her with your life?" he pulled out two small feminine slippers.

Kagome frowned, "I think so…why do you have those?" She remembered what he had said to Ayame earlier, "You said you'd send word to Ayame when we returned…where are we going?"

He couldn't help but smirk at the barrage of questions, "I figured we could go for a ride…just so you could get outside for a while?"

She stared at him, "Who are you and what have you done with my asshole 'owner'?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, "Do you want to go for a ride or do you want to stay in this fucking room some more?"

"I want to go for a ride!" she yelled back in surprise.

He nodded, "Then put these damn shoes on." He turned and picked up the velvety fabric that he had rolled the dagger in.

Kagome's eyes widened as he shook it out and revealed that it was a cloak, for a female.

"So you don't get cold," he said softly and wrapped it around her shoulders.

She swallowed, "Are we going to see a lot of demons?"

He shrugged, "Less than you saw the time you were in the dining hall, but more than we've ever encountered on the way to or from the baths."

"How should I act?" she asked, wondering what had changed since his little display last night.

Inuyasha chewed at his bottom lip with one of his fangs as he thought.

Kagome stared at his mouth in fascination…he'd never done that before…

"Well no more hiding behind me and trying not to be seen. After last night, everyone will be looking for you…" he looked up at her and found her staring at his mouth. "Kagome," her name came out much quieter than he'd intended.

She jerked her gaze up guiltily, "Yeah?"

"No more hiding?" he said softly. "Stay a step behind me but also a little to the side? Umm…no talking still, unless I give you a nod." He ran his fingers through his bangs and caused them to fall back onto his forehead in disarray, "Don't do anything sexual…but make sure you're always touching me. And act familiar with me, no groveling."

Her cheeks pinkened, "Well at least I don't have to put on some sordid display with you." The aloof tone she was going for came out more as awkward and breathy.

"Oh you do," he was just as awkward, "you still have to pretend to like me." He grimaced playfully, "And I'll have to endure it."

She narrowed her eyes, "Well I think that any demon that would kill another to protect a female would probably act like he liked her too."

Inuyasha froze.

She wanted to smack herself but it was too late to turn back now; she had to turn it into a joke. "Yeah! So…so you should like carry me around and…and pamper me and shit." Sometimes the things she said were so stupid that she amazed even herself.

He clenched his jaw, "You're right…" and she had just given him the solution to her problem… Could he go through with it though? He studied her features as she stared at him, her heart pounding so loud he barely resisted the urge to comment on it. She was beautiful so the act itself wouldn't be difficult…and in the end it would make her happy… What she had said to Ayame before he had come back into the room kept ringing in his ears; she still thought of him as just a demon, her enemy, and all she wanted was to escape. He couldn't really blame her…

"If I tell you to do something, while there are others around…do it," he said cooly and walked out the door.

"What? Wait!" she growled and chased after him.

Kagome gripped Inuyasha's bicep as soon as she caught up with him and fell into step slightly behind him and to the side. She knew her part, but her stomach was in knots over just what his would be.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

Hey readers. I got a couple of random comments in reviews from you guys that I thought deserved a little explanation. So here they are…just 2 for now. Maybe more if other problems are found. =P Anyway, the statement in bold is the paraphrased review, my reply is in regular font.

**Why hasn't Kagome displayed more priestess behavior and escaped already since she has a reputation as such a bad ass, like why doesn't she use sutras when she has ink and paper?** Well, I did say that she excelled in enchanting weapons and actual combat…(remember when she said something about swords and daggers being much harder to purify than a bow?). I think I've made her pretty strong minded, since she was looking for a way out of the cave she was stored in prior to being given to Inuyasha and she has argued with him ever since…but being in a fortress surrounded by demons would make any intelligent priestess think twice about trying to run for it. Like, even bad asses can only be so awesome and while she can definitely fend for herself on the battlefield and do more than her fair share of damage, but that doesn't mean she can take on an army single handedly. Make sense? And as for the sutras, I've never actually seen Kikyou (priestess I'm using for a model) use a sutra like Miroku and other priests do. She may do it and I didn't realize, but I'm just going to go with 'priestesses, like warriors, can specialize in different types of spirituality like warriors can specialize in different types of weapons'. Kagome doesn't ever meditate in the anime, so I didn't think about it, but yes since we are in a feudal-like time period she would probably do more spiritual stuff consciously. You got me there. As for purifying a rope or somehow causing damage through a kiss when one is forced upon her…I don't know, that's a little too imaginative for me. Sorry. =/

**Inuyasha is out of character. **Yeah, he kind of is. In the anime he is a stubborn oblivious jackass half of the time. I'd like to think he's still stubborn but I definitely made him more aware of his own feelings and more capable of reason. Sorry for not warning you guys ahead of time, I just honestly hadn't thought about it until someone mentioned it in a review. =P But yeah, I like him that way, so for the purposes of this story he is going to continue behaving the way he is.

Now that that is done. Hopefully a few of you are a little more satisfied with the story or at least ok with me BS-ing stuff. XD Read on my little reviewers but be warned, there are lemony waters ahead and may I just say…when it rains it pours.

READ AND REVIEW BITCHES! I love you. 3 Also, sorry for any grammatical errors that slipped through the cracks in my rush to post. I will tease you with the knowledge that I almost have chapter 8 done too though...so maybe if I am appropriately worshiped via large amounts of reviews I will post the next chapter very very soon. Lol. Also also, sorry for having such a big ego: I'm currently high off of the next chapter and exhausted from working all day. =P

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Inuyasha held his head high as he walked down the hall with Kagome on his arm. He was a demon lord…who was falling in love with the human priestess beside him…

"Lord Inuyasha," a small green demon that stood no taller than his waist turned the corner and almost ran into them. "Good morning to you."

Inuyasha tilted his head. He was a demon lord…who was falling in love with the human priestess beside him. "And to my beautiful female, who you must have accidentally overlooked."

The green demon's big eyes widened until they were about the size of Inuyasha's fist, "Of course my Lord! A good morning to…the priestess as well."

"Get out of the way," Inuyasha growled.

The little demon bowed again and again as he backed away from them until he was far enough away to turn tail and run.

"Beautiful?" Kagome said softly once she thought they were alone.

"Of course," Inuyasha growled back and turned to face her. He knew what she didn't know; some bastard was standing around the corner, holding his breath and eavesdropping on them.

"Come along, mate," he kissed her forehead softly, "I don't feel like delaying our ride any longer."

Kagome knew by the way he was speaking that someone must be close enough to hear them…but her heart still tripped up and lost its rhythm when he called her his mate. That was about as far from a pet as a female could get. "Me either," she said happily, "I'm excited."

With his arm around her they marched down the hallways; their eavesdropper was quick to get out of their way to avoid being caught.

They managed to get through the rest of the halls without crossing paths with another demon and their luck held even when they walked outside and Inuyasha called for his horse to be saddled.

'I am a demon lord…who is falling in love with the human priestess beside me' Inuyasha recited again in his head. He had to act true to the words and make the others believe it if the rest of his plan was going to work out. Not that he was having a hard time, damn it.

A younger male demon with red skin and a tail so long it was almost brushing the ground brought out Inuyasha's big black stallion. "My Lord," the boy's voice had a slight lisp to it and Inuyasha was briefly grateful that he didn't have a pair of fangs as long as his fingers that he had to talk around.

Inuyasha nodded to the boy to send him away and then the turned and climbed into the saddle. His priestess looked up at him nervously.

"I don't get my own horse?" she whispered after glancing around to see if there were any demons within hearing distance.

Inuyasha raised a dark eyebrow, "I thought we were supposed to act like we like each other?"

She narrowed her eyes on him but took the hand that he held out to her, aware that demon eyes could be watching them from anywhere. She had to pretend for her own safety that she liked the damn hanyou…

He nudged the horse with his heels and it immediately took off in the direction he had chosen at a lope. Kagome felt his arm thread its way around her waist to anchor down as the horse sped across the barren rocky ground and she immediately reached down and clung onto him. She was very unaccustomed to riding a horse when she wasn't the one holding the reigns or even riding _behind_ the one holding the reigns so that she could hold onto them.

"Perhaps I should ride behind you?" she shouted over the wind.

"Shhhh," he whispered back and she instinctually knew he had done it not because there were others around listening but simply to quietly calm her rattled nerves. It made her hear beat a little faster; how could such a commonplace sound feel so intimate?

Maybe it was the forward and backward sliding she was doing as the horse lunged forward with each of its strides? Maybe it was because his hand was delicately perched on her stomach only inches above where his fingers had found her moist heat so recently? Maybe it was because her treacherous body was heating up at the mere thought of his talented _claws _touching her again! She mentally stomped her foot in a tantrum.

"I always thought that tree was cool when I was younger," he said and nodded towards a tree they were passing. "The way the trunk starts out normal and then growls sideways for several feet? I would come here and perch on the trunk and try to think of ways to kill off Sesshomaru by the time I was nine."

He chuckled and she felt the rumble along her entire back before she actually heard the noise. She refused to think about it any further and instead looked at the tree he had gestured towards. It was indeed an intriguingly shaped trunk but she found the image a young boy with golden eyes and silvery, pointed ears sitting atop his head to be an even more intriguing thought. He must have been a terror when he was younger.

Several more minutes passed by them in silence before Inuyasha again caught her attention. "You see those boulders there? The way the larger one is leaned over a smaller one to make a point? Well it also makes a small cave underneath the two. Kouga and I came here a lot to play before I was old enough to take on my 'princely duties'. It was kind of our hang out spot to escape everyone else's bullshit."

Kagome looked at the rocks, "I didn't think you and the wolf demon were friendly. You didn't seem to like him that night in the baths."

Inuyasha shrugged but stayed quiet.

She snorted, "Oh please, you're going to tell me all these little stories about your past and then clam up as soon as I ask you a question about it?" She twisted at the waist and at the neck so that she could look him in the eye. "Not that I care about your past but how does that even remotely make sense?"

He sighed and looked back at the rocks, "Kouga was one of my best friends when I was a boy. He didn't care that I was half human, he liked to wrestle with me until I gave up. Can't really blame him." His eyes found the priestess again against his will, "But when I was 13 my father told me I could no longer afford to lose at anything…that it was time to show everyone that even a halfbreed could be demon royalty. I stopped hanging out with Kouga for a year or so and trained hard every day. On my 15th birthday he made a comment under his breath about my mother and I not belonging in the demon kingdom and I showed him all that I had learned. He has hated me ever since that day…and again I can't really blame him. He was teased mercilessly for being beaten by a mutt until I started showing others that he wasn't the only one I could best."

Kagome chewed her lip as she listened to Inuyasha talk about his past. It was so strange to hear all of this coming from him…once she had thought of him only as a blood thirsty fiend with no childhood, then she had met him and become one of his possessions and her views didn't change much… but now? How could she treat him the same if he was going to act so calm and rational…and open up to her? He hated opening up; she might not know him as well as Rin but that much she did know for sure.

Several minutes of silence passed before Inuyasha again nudged her into alertness.

"One time, when I was fourteen…I decided to run away to be with the humans… I figured nothing could be worse than being surrounded by demons that were all stronger than me…" He spoke slowly, as if he was hesitant to say the words at all but felt like he had to.

"It started storming right after I left the castle and by the time I reached this point, the weather was so bad I could barely see five feet in front of me. The horse, the first horse I ever could actually call my own, tripped on some rocks jutting out of the ground and went down hard. I broke my arm and was knocked unconscious during the fall, and by the time I awoke the storm was gone and my horse's eyes had long since glazed over." He stopped their horse and pointed to a large mound of small rocks that had clearly been positioned thusly, "I splinted my arm and buried her there… she was the only thing I cared about, other than my mother, and it killed a part of me to lose her."

The priestess couldn't help it; she gently covered his big hand where it was resting on her stomach with one of her own.

"Tell me about your mother, please," she whispered.

Inuyasha again nudged the horse forward, "She was beautiful…it's not surprising that a man would change his entire life to be with such a woman, not even a demon king could resist someone so delicate and pretty. Hell, Sesshomaru tried so hard to hate her but I'd catch even him smiling like an idiot whenever she praised him for doing something right."

"So were he and the other demons mean to her?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha tried to ignore the way his chest tightened whenever he thought about his mother…Gods he missed her. "They were at first…at least they tried. My father killed the first demon that insulted her, right in front of her, and my mother didn't speak to him for three days. After that, he growled and threatened them but did little else to stop them from lashing out at her verbally… Still she was always smiling. Someone would say something hateful about her right to her face and she would just smile gracefully and walk away. Father would tell me stories of how badly it drove him crazy at the time; having his mate threatened and being unable to do anything…" He swallowed. "Gradually the others just grew tired of taking jabs at her…and while they'd still make the occasional comment about her inferiority, especially Sesshomaru, it became more of an attempt to convince themselves that they didn't like her than an actual attack on her. Sesshomaru would tell her how hideous she was and wonder aloud why father had chosen her and then on her birthday he would go to great lengths to get her the most beautiful clothes and jewelry…and then he'd lie and say he didn't if anyone asked him about it, despite the fact that any demon could smell his scent on the gifts."

Kagome smiled, "She sounds wonderful."

He nodded, "She was."

"How was she with you?" Kagome asked softly. "I know the other demons were hard on you…so she must have been really supportive."

He sighed, "I don't think she ever regretted being with my father…until I was born. Before that she could fend for herself and just let the insults roll off her back like water off of a ducks feathers…but once I was around and she saw how the others treated me… that was when she started crying, not all the time but at least once a week. It was all pretty much harmless until I turned thirteen and my father made it clear to everyone that he intended for me to be a demon prince just as much as Sesshomaru, and that I deserved just as much respect…"

Inuyasha stopped the horse next to a pitifully small stream and slid down from its back, keeping a steadying hand on Kagome so that she wouldn't slip. "'You cannot command a demons allegiance and respect, it has to be fought for and earned,' my father said to me all the time. He'd say it and then he would do his best to turn a blind eye to my struggling, letting them beat me to the point of breaking before calling them off. Mother started crying almost every day that year and I don't think she stopped until the day she died…she was always the one to clean my wounds and take care of me after a fight though. If the other maids tried to do it she would yell at them until they left her alone with me…then she'd sing to me and cry, and tend to me. She still stayed by father's side but she stopped smiling at him, stopped talking to him except for short emotionless phrases…she even started to be hateful towards others whenever they spoke ill of me. One day it was Sesshomaru who sparred with me in the training ring and when he brought me home to mother, draped bleeding across his arms because I didn't have the energy to even walk on my own anymore…she surprised us all when she slapped him but he didn't say anything. Just put me on the bed and left. I was almost sixteen then and neither my mother nor Sesshomaru ever spoke to the other again after that day."

Kagome wiped quickly at her tearing eyes and tried to focus on the horse drinking from the stream; anything but the thought of a broken and bleeding Inuyasha being held by his sobbing mother.

"When I asked her about it a month or so later…she didn't say the words but I could see the hatred in her gaze. In the days and weeks after, she started to look at everyone with that hatred, everyone but me. Father stood by his decision to train me and make me a prince, but I could see that it hurt him greatly to have her turn that look to him…" Inuyasha sat down hard, "It was a little less than a year later that my beautiful innocent mother died with that same look of hatred burning in her eyes…She blamed my father for allowing it all to happen and blamed everyone else for continuing the harsh treatment of me…and probably blamed herself for not being able to save me from it. I think we were all a little relieved the day she died…just because it meant that her constant suffering was over. Sesshomaru…I think he still blames me for her death and for her hatred of him."

She could stand it no longer. Kagome slid from the horse and pressed her way into Inuyasha's closed off embrace. As soon as she could she pressed her body to his and wrapped her arms around his torso so that she could bury her face in his neck and sob.

Inuyasha sat rigid for a minute as the feeling of a female clutching so tightly to him and crying made his unpleasant memories even more intense, but slowly he relaxed into the embrace. With shaking hands he wrapped his arms around her and tugged her even closer…as if, if he pulled her against him tight enough she'd never be able to pull away again.

"It wasn't your fault…" she cried loudly. "Her hatred…and her death…they weren't your fault. They weren't hers either!"

He smoothed a hand down her rose petal-soft hair and acknowledged the truth he had had accepted years ago, "Yes it was. She was fine before I was born. If it wasn't for my existence she would have never even known what hatred for another living being even felt like…"

The sobs wracking Kagome's body increased, "No! No…you're wrong! You can't blame yourself Inuyasha."

"It's too late to save her Kagome," Inuyasha soothed, "but it's not too late to save you."

Kagome grew quiet as her mind tried to wrap around the sudden change of topic, "What?" She pressed back against his hands and pulled her body away from him far enough that she could look up into his face. "What are you talking about?"

He calmly wiped away the tears below one of her eyes, "Delicate flowers cannot survive in this desert of a land…you're strong, but you're still a soft hearted woman." He held his moist fingers up in front of her as if for proof, "You cry for me Kagome…and I cannot allow another woman to slowly die because she shares my pain. Do you know how long it can take a woman to die of such a disease as heartbreak?"

"You're an idiot man!" she glared as her eyes started to tear up again.

Inuyasha gave her a halfhearted crooked smile, "Why do you act upset? All you've done since you came here was try and come up with a plan to get the hell back out. And now I'm agreeing to help you do that…you should be ecstatic. You won't have to pretend to care for me much longer."

Kagome could do nothing but cry harder. What was wrong with her? He was right…she had wanted this from the beginning, hadn't she? She pressed her face into his chest and tried to ignore the warm masculine scent of the demon holding her. "Th…thank….the…gods," she managed to get out around her sobs, trying to maintain some facet of her old self.

He petted her hair, "The plan I have…it will require a large sacrifice on your part…but it will keep you safe from almost every single demon alive for the rest of the days you spend on this earth."

Pushing away her thoughts of his mother, of his misplaced guilt, of her empathy for his loneliness and her insane desire to make him feel less lonely…she pushed it all to the back of her mind and wiped her face. When the tears had subsided into sniffles she pulled back and looked at him, "What sacrifice?"

Inuyasha fought the urge to look away from her guiltily, with his gaze locked on hers he spoke softly, "Your virginity."

Kagome sucked in a sharp breath, not sure how to take his words or what to say. The memory of him on top of her on his plush bed as he touched her intimately had plagued her ever since it had happened and now it was instantly back at the forefront of her mind…she could easily imagine how it would be if no clothes separated them, if he was between her thighs…pushing inside her. Kagome cleared her throat, "Explain…please." She needed to leave this place, before Inuyasha changed her any further…before she was no longer herself.

"I will give you the mark of a demon mate…it requires sex to make it but once it is made all demons will recognize it. No demon will expect a turn with you after that, because no demon can expect another demon to share his mate, it's our equivalent to marriage."Just a more meaningful and much more permanent, but she didn't need to know that part.

"Marriage?" she squeaked.

He nodded, "Yes, you will bear a mark on your skin afterwards as proof of our…joining. The others will leave you unmolested and then I will provide a distraction to give you enough time to get away."

"Why not just do the distraction and skip the mating?" she asked softly.

"Because if you do not bear my mark then anyone who sees you on a horse without me will immediately assume you're trying to escape and will recapture you…and most likely rape you as a punishment." Inuyasha grimaced because of how horrible he was making his people sound…but he wasn't lying. "If you bear my mark and they approach you, you can act the part of princess. Order them to leave you alone or risk having you tell your mate of their crimes…you riding alone will be much less suspicious and you'll be able to get further away before someone realizes what has happened. No one will suspect a female to be running away from her mate."

"Can we not fake the mark somehow? Paint it on?" she had never seen one of these marks before, or if she had then she had overlooked it because she didn't know what it was.

"The mark cannot be faked. It only appears after a true mating and it will alter other things as well; for instance, we will each carry some of the other's scent no matter how far away we are from each other." And he would forever be able to sense her emotions…and feel a pull towards her location, something else she didn't need to know.

She searched the ground nervously for answers, "What will it mean if I go back to the humans…I mean, my people," she corrected. "What will it mean _when_ I go back to them?"

He shrugged, "It will be like a tattoo which you can explain however you want. I doubt any humans recognize it for what it is because this is one of those things that demons don't broadcast to those outside our species. It won't change who you are or make you more like me, it won't bind you to stay near to me in any way, it won't…prevent you from taking another should you decide one day that you wish to marry a human." He said the last through gritted teeth, because the idea of her with another already stirred his demon blood to the boiling point. At least once she was away from him he wouldn't be able to see if she was with someone else.

Kagome chewed her lip. The mark sounded like an empty gesture…nothing but a permanent sign of ownership directed towards other male demons…could she bear such a mark for the rest of her life?

"You don't have to decide right now, let's go back to the fortress," he said and gently nudged her away from him so he could stand up. He was too antsy with such a big decision hanging over his head…he couldn't just sit here with her so close and not touch her a moment longer.

She nodded quietly and waited for him to mount the now rested horse before he held out a hand to her and helped her to climb up in front of him.

As they neared the stables and the mountain that he called home, Inuyasha could smell the scent of several male demons nearby. He leaned closer into Kagome and pressed his lips against her ear, "There are others outside right now. If you wish to go along with my plan then you must at the very least act like you care deeply for me…"

"What are you whispering about over there?" Kouga called out to them as they continued their slow approach.

"Kouga, haven't you learned yet that it's none of your damn business what I whisper into my woman's ear?" Inuyasha said back mockingly.

Kagome looked nervously at the two other demons standing near Kouga. One of which was bald except for spiky white mohawk and the other who had short blue-ish white hair except for a black patch at the top of his forehead; the two both wore brown furs like Kouga did…maybe they were wolf demons too, Kagome thought.

Kouga snorted, "Your woman? What do you think Sesshomaru is going to do when he returns and finds out what you did to his right hand man? The priestess is about to be taken from you selfish little paws." The two other males behind Kouga snickered.

Inuyasha slid off the horse and turned his back to the three demons as if they posed no threat to him, so that he could help Kagome from the saddle. "I guess we will see, won't we wolf?" he said as he glanced over his shoulder at Kouga.

Kouga paused, as if not sure what to do with an Inuyasha who wasn't insulting him with his every reply. "Why do you help the priestess from the horse as if she is made of glass? Has the master become the slave?" The question was a much a genuine curiosity as it was a taunt.

"Inuyasha is no slave," Kagome stood confidently next to Inuyasha. "He is your prince and has already kicked your ass more than once to prove it. Why not drop the attitude and treat him that way."

The two groupies behind Kouga gaped at while Kouga scowled in confusion and irritation. Inuyasha looked equally surprised but he quickly hid it.

"I'll act like his humble subject the day you act like the prisoner and slave you are," Kouga growled. "Even though I am beneath him I am still well above you in status. So why not just shut the fuck up?"

He had stepped forward as if he was going to get violent with her but Inuyasha was instantly between them, a deep rumbling growl pouring from between the lips he had raised in a snarl to flash his teeth at the other male.

"Kouga, I suggest you get the fuck away from _Kagome_ before I lose my patience," Inuyasha's voice was rough as he allowed more and more of the demon inside him to slip free.

The wolf demon blinked, "What the hell? Kagome? You're calling her by her _name_? Sesshomaru is going to be so pissed that you are treating this enemy and prisoner like a female demon of worth. You're fucked when he gets back tomorrow evening."

Kagome frowned, what should she do? What would a mate do? Putting on a confident face she moved in between Inuyasha and Kouga, facing the snarling hanyou. He looked fearsome but again she was sure that he would cause her no harm.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. Take me back to the room so that we don't have to deal with jerks like him anymore," she rested her hand gently on his strong chest as she looked up into his face.

When he looked down at her with confusion in his amber gaze, she felt her heart skip a beat. Very softly she said, "I've made my decision…I'm ready…" And she had…she hadn't consciously decided on it before now but she could feel the truth in the words she had said. She…was going to be intimate with a demon…just one and just this once…and she was going to let him claim her as his mate. She watched his pupils dilate and sucked in a shaky breath, something in the pit of her stomach was telling her that she wasn't going to be able to keep this a calm and rational event...

Inuyasha listened to Kagome's heart speed up its pace and then he glanced up at Kouga, "Sorry wolf, I've got somewhere important to be." Without another glance or word to the three males he picked Kagome up in his arms and started walking quickly towards his room.

Back in his room, the silence between them was suddenly deafening. Inuyasha sat her gently on the bed and sat down next to her without shutting the door or saying anything.

"Well?" Kagome said shakily, "are we going to do this or not?"

Inuyasha studied her with those big amber eyes and mad her squirm, "Do you want to 'do this'? We can think of another plan if you don't like this one."

She knew that he was out of ideas…he wouldn't have suggested something so radical as 'mating' if he had had a better idea all along. "Tell me what we have to do."

Inuyasha took a fortifying breath, "First we will both cut our chests…a small cut, above our hearts. That way, when we are having sex…our blood will mix and cover both of our chests." She swallowed nervously but he continued, "Once we have both climaxed, we will stand up, facing each other and recite the sacred words…then we will touch the other where we wish them to bear our mark."

"You'll have a mark too?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded.

She chewed her lip thoughtfully; was there more to 'mating' than he had let on? Why would he be marked as well…maybe female demons wanted a mark to show their possession of the male just as much as the males wanted one on the females? "How big will the mark be…and what will it look like?"

"The size will be based on the feelings of the two people involved…and the actual marking itself changes for each couple, so I have no idea what ours will look like but I do know they will match," he answered.

After a long moment of silence she gathered her courage and nodded, "Ok…let's do it…"

"You're sure?" he asked, hating that he had to ask but knowing that no woman in her right mind would want to tie herself to a halfbreed. It would be unfair of him not to let her rethink her decision.

"I'm sure. Lock the door," she said calmly. How much of her life would be changed once she was no longer a virgin? Being a priestess was all about purity…would she even be able to call herself a priestess after she had lain with a demon? Still, she would have her freedom from this place…and that alone should be enough…

He went to the door and quickly shut and locked it before turning back to face the beautiful female perched nervously on the edge of his bed. He wordlessly started taking off his clothing. "Remember…during the ceremony afterwards…they are just words."

Kagome watched, her mouth dry, as more and more of Inuyasha's skin was bared to her. She didn't ask him what he was doing or what he meant, only watched in fascination as he blew out most of the candles lightly the room until the room had dimmed into a soft yellow glow. She could still see him and his features well, as he returned to the bed and stopped in front of her, completely naked.

He was still for a moment too long and she realized that he was unsure about how committed she actually was to their plan. Without meeting his eyes she started taking off her dress…after untying the first few bows in the ribbon the fabric slid easily to the floor, leaving her naked except for the dagger strapped to her thigh. She moved to remove it but his hands stopped her.

"Leave it priestess…it reminds me of who you are…" his voice came out rough; the sight of her so naked and vulnerable and yet still quite dangerous already had him harder than he had thought possible. "Come up on your knees," he ordered.

Kagome bit her lip again hesitantly but wordlessly did as she was told, standing up on her knees on the big bed so that she was nearly at eye level with the hanyou she was about to...be intimate with.

Very gently he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise. She had had a few kisses in her lifetime, by humans and demons, but she hadn't expected any from Inuyasha. Before, any kiss a demon had given her had been forced…and yet Inuyasha was more gentle than any human had ever been, as if he really did fear that she was made of glass and he would break her. Why was he doing this?

Determined to enjoy the first and only time he would ever be with his mate, Inuyasha deepened the kiss when she didn't pull away. He hadn't ever been very interested in kissing before, but the idea of not tasting Kagome's sweet mouth at least once or twice before she left seemed like a sin.

When his tongue touched the edge of her lips, Kagome felt her legs begin to wobble. She couldn't help but to lean in to Inuyasha to keep her balance as he increased the pressure of his mouth against hers gradually. She didn't know what made her do it but when his tongue again teased at her bottom lip, she parted her lips and flicked her own tongue out to touch his.

Inuyasha groaned at the oh-so-tentative touch of Kagome's tongue. She had no idea how much he wanted her…if she did she would probably be terrified. He gripped both of her arms and kept them pinned against her sides while at the same time pulling her more fully against him so that he could deepen the kiss and finally delve his tongue between her wanting lips.

The sounds of both of their breaths sawing in and out of their lungs in desperation and the feel of Inuyasha eating at her mouth like a man starved made Kagome tremble. She had made a mistake…she wasn't ready for this much feeling…had she ever felt anything so intensely before in her life?

As if he had read her mind Inuyasha pulled back, his pupils blown wide to the point of nearly covering his golden irises, "Last chance to change your mind."

Kagome looked up at him helplessly. Damn him for putting this in her hands repeatedly; it would have been so much easier if he had just acted like a typical demon and taken what he wanted as soon as she had even hinted at agreeing the first time! She swallowed and tried to slow her racing heart, "I…I don't want to…change my mind."

A soft growl of pleasure tickled across her skin and raised goosebumps in its wake.

"Lay back on the bed," he ordered softly.

Kagome quickly did so and lay before him, thighs clenched together and hands up over her breasts as she waited for him to climb on top of her. He seemed to have other ideas.

"Put your arms above your head," he voice was like velvet against her skin.

Without meeting his gaze she again did as she was told.

"Now spread your legs open for me."

Kagome's eyes jerked to meet his, "Is this a part of the mating ceremony?"

"Please."

She shivered at that. Gods, who was he? First he was so gentle it nearly broke her heart and now he was ordering her to act like a slut and she…couldn't seem to make her heart slow its hectic pace. Her legs parted and she felt the cool air between her thighs almost at the same time she heard the soft groan that he was to slow to muffle. The sight of her alone made him make those noises?

Slowly, Inuyasha climbed up onto the bed, prowling on all fours like the predator he was until he was on top of her…straddling her.

His lips found her collar bone, and then her neck, and then her ear.

"I've never seen anything as beautiful as you, naked, on my bed," he whispered almost too softly for her to hear it before catching her ear lobe in his teeth and then sucking on it gently.

Kagome's stomach had tightened in anticipation but she wasn't sure what it was anticipating. His rough hands smoothed up and back down her arms before they found her breasts; she was unable to do anything but gasp and arch up into his grasp. He kneaded at her flesh before pinching at one nipple and lowering his head down to take the other into his mouth.

Her quiet gasps turned into almost a pained moan and she was surprised to hear such a noise coming from between her lips. The sting of his sharp canines nicking the tender skin above her nipple made her wiggle but it was the feeling of his hot tongue laving over the spot, tasting her blood that made her really squirm under him.

One of his hands ghosted over her thigh and she heard the soft hiss of her dagger escaping its sheath.

All too suddenly he was pulling away from her. Cool air was chilling her body every where his skin had been touching hers.

"By my heart's blood I am bound to you, Kagome," he said softly and pressed the dagger to the center of his chest. The sharp double edged blade slid easily into his flesh and Kagome watched in stunned fascination as he made a slice as long as his middle finger across his chest…instantly blood was beading up at the wound and starting to drip down his body. He handed her the dagger.

Kagome stayed lying down and lifted the dagger to her chest, "By my heart's blood I am bound to you, Inuyasha." She pressed the dagger against her flesh and managed not to wince as it sliced cleanly between her breasts. Just as with Inuyasha's, the cut wasn't particularly deep but it started to bled freely almost at once, dripping down the minute groove down the center of her chest, between her ribs and then down to her belly button…were it began to pool until the little dip in her body was filled and then began to slide down both sides of her stomach and onto Inuyasha's bed.

She looked back up at him for reassurance that she'd done it right and found his eyes locked on the trail her blood had taken down body; was he just as fascinated by the path as she had been?

"You blood smells…delicious," he said in a rough voice before clearing his throat and gently taking the dagger from her hand. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, too distracted by the sight of his body again looming over hers to reply verbally.

His clawed fingers found that vulnerable spot between her legs and she sucked in a surprised breath.

He looked just as surprised as she did. "You're so…wet."

Kagome felt the blush burning her cheeks. What the hell does one say to that? "Isn't that a good thing?"

He nodded quickly, "It is…I just thought you'd be too afraid to…enjoy it."

She bit her lip and held her hands up for him. Her hanyou had thought she'd be disgusted by him, that she'd turn away from him…he had never expected what she had known all along but could never say aloud: she wanted him.

Inuyasha moved slowly into the embrace, his hips easing their way between her creamy thighs, his chest almost lining up with hers…her face just slightly below his.

"I'm ready…" Kagome forced herself to say the words but the still came out very quiet. He heard her though, she could tell by the way his silver ears twitched on top of his head. The hard length that he had shown her that first day in the baths pressed hotly against her thigh, his skin so warm she felt like she might burst into flames underneath him.

Inuyasha nodded and pressed his lips gently against her own. Spreading little open mouthed kisses over her lips until she opened for him and his tongue could deepen the kiss. Her hands found his hair and he, who had always hated anyone drawing attention to his hair or ears, suddenly found himself enjoying the touch of those small hands. When she moaned softly into the kiss he decided she was distracted enough and lined his dick up with her virgin entrance. With one hand holding up his weight while their mouths were still locked, he used the other to guide his length up and down her moist folds, both spreading her slickness over as much of his length as possible and rubbing that sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her opening repeatedly.

Kagome squirmed underneath him and pulled her mouth away to pant out her pleasure; she couldn't focus on his lips when he was doing such things with her, much lower on her body. She felt the blunted tip of him pressing against her and tensed up…this was it.

"Relax or it's going to hurt more," he whispered as he turned his head to lick at her ear.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax back into the bed, to just feel instead of tensing in preparation for what might come…

Inuyasha pressed the first few inches inside of Kagome's tight body easily enough, though she still made soft pained noises underneath him. He paused when the head of his cock found that thin barrier marking her as a virgin; this would be the part that caused her the most pain…he wished it didn't have to hurt her.

Kagome whimpered as Inuyasha suddenly pressed forward, simultaneously breaking her maidenhead, sliding the rest of his thick length into her body, and lowering his body to the point that their chests made contact.

Her breath was stolen from her chest as she felt the sudden heat between her breasts where before there had been only a stinging sensation…the heat seemed to spread to the rest of her body. She cried out when every part of her body, from her fingertips to her toes and everywhere in between, became hypersensitive. The heat also seemed to help her body to relax and stretch further around Inuyasha's girth…making it much less uncomfortable and much much more pleasurable.

Inuyasha had frozen above her and seemed to be suffering the same sensations she was, because he was clenched his jaw tightly and his brows were furrowed with the monumental effort it was taking to keep him from moving.

"Move," she begged softly.

Inuyasha groaned and quickly pulled back so that he could thrust soundly back into her again.

She gasped and arched as each time he sheathed himself within her again she felt another wave of pleasure and a soft resounding beat of her heart as their chests pressed tightly together.

"Sorry," he whispered, "I can't…" his thrusts were getting faster and she was biting her lip hard to keep from crying out. "I can't…slow down."

"Don't!" her voice was raised enough to almost count as a scream.

The word seemed to spur him on because she was suddenly having to clench her nails into his shoulders to help anchor her body as his thrusts became harder and harder, pushing her higher up on the bed each time. Oh Gods, what had she done? It was happening…she could feel her body tensing…

Inuyasha could only growl in pleasure as Kagome tightened her thighs around his hips and her slick inner muscles around his hard length. She was coming…he could feel it even in the way she was clinging to his shoulders. Still he couldn't slow the maddening pace he had built up.

With no remorse for how much she would probably ache later, he pounded into her again and again. Even as her walls tightened hard on him, as if trying to keep him locked inside her, and she cried out his name…

Kagome wasn't even sure what was happening but as the hanyou above her kept surging inside her, her sensitized body seemed to be stuck at the peak of pleasure. She clawed at his back as wave after wave of ecstasy rolled through her body and sent her spirit soaring.

Just when she thought she could no longer take it, she felt him slow…felt something warm spreading inside her from where he was lodged. She couldn't help but picture the baby that she had to pray wouldn't develop from their union. She would want him to have Inuyasha's cute ears…

Inuyasha hadn't dropped all of his weight on the panting priestess below him, but he had made sure that there wasn't a single breath of air to be had between their bodies. Their blood mixed as his seed soaked deeper within her and he shivered at the pleasure of it all. Did she know how her inner muscles milked at his length, squeezing him rhythmically as if to coax out every drop of seed he possessed?

Still…the ceremony wasn't done and with a groan of effort he pulled himself off of her. Kagome looked up at him with glazed eyes and a frown of confusion.

"We must finish it," he said and held out a hand to help her sit up on the bed.

Kagome sat up and found it hard not to admire the sheen of perspiration coating his skin…the smear of their mixed blood that coated most of his chest…the candlelight seemed to enhance everything that she found attractive about him…which seemed to be everything. Her demon was too beautiful to be real.

When they were both sitting on the bed facing each other, he took a deep breath and then looked into her eyes.

"By our blood…I am bound…as long as my heart beats and ever thereafter…" he said softly.

Kagome's eyes widened, what did that mean? She suddenly felt like some sort of magic had been breathed into life around them. She glanced from side to side, hoping to see something to reassure her that there was no reason for the goose bumps raised up along her skin.

He raised an eyebrow at her silence.

"By our blood," she said softly as she tried to gather some kind of understanding from his gaze, "I am bound, as long as my heart beats and ever thereafter."

"By my torn soul I am bound, only with yours shall I be truly complete."

Kagome swallowed, he seemed so serious…and yet so calm, "By my torn soul I am bound…only with yours shall I be truly complete."

He nodded, "And by my body I am bound, though I cannot always be inside yours, may I bear a mark to show that this body will forever belong only to you."

Her mouth went dry as she felt the magic circle around them tightening, "And by my body I am bound, though I cannot always…hold you inside me…may I bear a mark to show that this body will forever belong only to you…" Her right hand suddenly grew hot and she looked down to find it glowing a soft yellow.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for help but found him holding up his own glowing hand for inspection.

"Touch me where you want your mark to be," he said helpfully when she continued to sit staring at both their hands in confusion.

She blinked. Where did she want it to be? Her eyes fell shut as she thought and she felt her hand moving almost of its own accord. Her fingertips touched skin and she flattened her palm so that her entire hand rest on his body…she dimly noted the feel of a hip bone under her pinky finger. Suddenly her hand grew hot and then she heard Inuyasha hiss.

Kagome opened her eyes and jerked back her hand to see the black lines swirling and expanding across Inuyasha's skin. Slowly, the lines drew a picture of a pearly white crescent moon nearly the size of her hand spread wide…and a pink lotus flower sitting inside the dip of the moon, as if perched delicately on the bottom tip of it, all outline in thick black lines. Just when she thought it was done a few bunch of tiny, random black dots swirled out around the mark, a few spiraling into feminine circles.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the size of the mark. He didn't mind that the thing looked relatively girly. He knew the crescent moon was his contribution…the mark of a family he rarely felt like he belonged to. The lotus was Kagome, no doubt, with her gentle inner nature that she hid with her combat skills…But why was the damn thing so large, had he ever seen a mark so large?

"Turn around," he said softly.

When she nervously shuffled until she had presented him with her back, he slowly raised his glowing hand and pressed it to her right shoulder.

"Oww," she said through gritted teeth, "why didn't you tell me it would hurt this bad?"

"Because I didn't want you to chicken out," he said, remembering the feeling her mark had given him…like each black line was a blade carving the marking not just into his skin but into the muscle and bone below. The searing pain hadn't stopped until the mark was fully drawn, but even now the damn thing stung.

"How does it look," she growled softly.

"Identical to mine…same symbols and same size…" he answered her softly, wanting to run his fingers over her the mark he had left on her shoulder but he knew the pain was still fresh and it would probably only hurt worse to have someone touch it.

Slowly he drew back and let her turn back around. Both of their eyes dropped to the hand sized mark Kagome had placed on the left side of his stomach, so low down so that it was even with his hip bone….part of it would probably be covered when he was actually wearing pants.

"This whole mountain is going to be in an uproar," he said in both grim amusement and dread.

Kagome gave him a soft smile and went to pick up her dress.

"No," Inuyasha stopped her, "you'll be wearing another when you go out to meet the demons the first time as my mate."

Kagome nodded and crawled back onto the bed, "I feel like I need a bath."

He looked at her hair, which had become wet with sweat and was sticking to her temples and the back of her neck…and at the blood smeared across her chest…and the small smear of blood between her thighs. He glanced down at himself; he wasn't much better…the blood of her maidenhead was still glistening in the candlelight where it was spread from the tip of his length to the base.

"We both need one, wrap up in a towel…I'll go find Rin and have her fetch a new dress for you."

He pulled on the hakama pants he had been wearing earlier that day and walked out into the hallway.

The first demon he walked past simply stopped and stared. Others, the females, were whispering back and forth under their breath. The males all wore scowls of disbelief and growled at him as he passed.

He found Rin in the kitchen with two other serving girls. "Rin?"

The small girl turned around her brown eyes grew wide when she saw the state he was in, "You mated with Kagome?"

No use in sidestepping the question or waiting on the other girls to leave the room before answering; they wanted people to know. "Yes." Already his chest was tight with what he knew was coming…how could he let his mate leave his side forever?


End file.
